CARLOS TEVEZ EXCLUSIVE
Mean streets where Argentinian superstar grew up
A NOD of approval and it's access all areas, darting past drug dens and given the freedom to slip through the foxholes of Fuerte Apache.
This is where it began for Carlos Tevez before he broke out of south America's most notorious neighbourhood to become their most famous citizen.
It's a world away from his multi-million pound house in Macclesfield, Chesire, where his £150,000 white Bentley GT Continental is still parked in the driveway two months after he quit Manchester United.
The keys to this visit are Tevez's childhood friends Daniel 'Pipa' Rossetti and Javier Dure, putting their lives in the hands of the gangs who control the streets by vouching for these visitors.
'El Apache' has not been forgotten by the 70,000 people who were swept off the streets by the Argentina government during the slum clearance programme in the 1960s.
They were dumped in this battleground 20 miles outside Buenos Aires, setting up home in this bottleneck and grinding out a life of grime. It is inhospitable and intimidating, rolled into one enormous bundle of refuse bags, broken homes and an atmosphere that breeds suspicion.
Everyone minds their own business in Fuerte Apache, turning a blind eye to criminal activity instead of turning people in.
"If you called the police to tell them that people are selling drugs, the police would call the people selling drugs to tell them who had just called them," explained Dure.
Those are the rules and the residents abide by them. There are no street names, just huge numbers painted on buildings to remind the destitute of their place among the 41 million people who live in Argentina.
Tevez lived in the squalid surrounds of Nudo 1, one of 98 designated areas in this giant criminal compound, until he was signed by Boca Juniors aged 16.
Pitched into a tiny building with his father Segundo and mother Adriana, he picked his way through the shards broken glass that cover the sun-burnt grass verges to play his football.
"Violence and drugs are everywhere, but there are also people who had to bring bread home for the children," remembers Tevez. "What I lived through there could not happen anywhere else. I could be where I am today, or drugged up somewhere in Fuerte Apache."
The house in Nudo 1 is where Tevez sustained the scars on his neck when a pot of boiling water fell on his head when he was only 10 months old.
"The jug was on a rug on the table, his mother was distracted by a conversation with his uncle and he tugged at it from the floor," revealed 'Pipa'. "He was lucky to survive."
Everyone in Fuerte Apache knows where Tevez, his three brothers and sister, grew up. They were hemmed in by a high-rise block of flats opposite his bedroom window on one side and the rows of washing drying in the wind on the other.
A sign on a nearby tenement hangs at an angle - 'mecanico dental' - leaving little to the imagination and the guarantee of an extraction with every visit.
There is danger everywhere, from the network of decaying walkways that connect this concrete jungle to the rusting spiral staircases that are missing some of the steps. Then there are the brushes with the inhabitants.
Stay too long in one place and suddenly the spring-loaded venetian blinds are up, with word getting around that the outsiders are raising suspicion by asking way too many questions.
Out of nowhere, two guys dressed in Fuerte Apache uniform - tracksuit tops, chunky gold chains, baggy jeans and white trainers - are on the trail.
"What's your business?" one of them demands, the tension rising as he finishes his sentence in Spanish slang. "They are here to buy the house," is Dure's street-smart response, putting the pair away before the situation has chance to escalate.
It is survival of the fittest, where quick-witted replies earn respect and freedom to move around this giant rubbish skip.
Around the corner is Fuerte Apache's own Theatre of Dreams, where scores of schoolchildren live out their fantasies in shirts bearing the names of their idol Tevez.
It is here, on this mud-baked football pitch measuring 30m x 20m in the centre of this enormous dustbowl that Tevez's special talents were first recognised.
"Whenever teams were being picked you had to be with Lito (Carlitos) because you were guaranteed to win," claimed 'Pipa'.
"Well almost," chimes Dure, reminding his friend of the time they played Tevez's cousin's team, with the losers promising to dye their hair for a month. "We were 1-0 up and then we started the party-tricks, making fun of them in the last few minutes and telling them what colour to tint their hair.
"Of course they made it 1-1 and we lost on penalties. Lito and I had to colour our hair for one month. Mine was yellow, his was violet."
The colours of his life will soon be with Manchester City, swapping one side for another as he contines to fly the flag for Fuerte Apache.
Concrete
Tevez's escape from the area is legendary, pitted against boys of 20 when he was only 15 and excelling in the shirt of the local club Santa Clara. His education at Escuela No 15 - closed temporarily because of the swine flu epidemic - is largely forgotten, a long way down the list for a player with ambitions elsewhere.
Before long he was at La Bombonera, home of Boca Juniors, making his debut for one of Argentina's most famous clubs at the age of 17.
He has already been inducted into the club's hall of fame, planting his tiny size six feet into the concrete in a Hollywood-style pavement outside the south American stadium.
One day he has promised to return to Argentina to finish his career with Boca, fulfilling the dreams of the supporters growing up watching grainy images of him in a United shirt on 1980s TV sets.
After making good his escape, he is welcome back any time.
FROM RAGS TO RICHES
1984: Born in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires. At 10 months old he pulls a jug of boiling water over himself, causing third-degree burns to face, neck and chest, leaving him in intensive care for two months.
1992: Starts out with All Boys, where he earns the nickname 'Apache'.
1997: Snapped up by Boca Juniors.
2001: Makes his Boca debut.
2003: Named Argentine player of the year.
2004: Makes senior debut for Argentina. Moves to Brazilian side Corinthians in £13.7million deal financed by Media Sports Investments.
2006: Plays for Argentina at the World Cup, then moves to West Ham.
2007: Helps West Ham stay up with seven goals but joins Manchester United on a two-year loan.
2008: Helps United retain Premier League title, scoring five goals and nets penalty as Chelsea lose shootout in the Champions League final.
2009: Stopped by Manchester police in February and it is discovered he is driving without a full UK licence. His white Bentley GT is impounded. Lack of first-team opportunities sees him quit the club in June, despite United willing to meet his £25.5m fee.
This article has 17 comments
Carlos,
I was sad when you left my beloved ManU. I only hope you didn't leave just for the money. However, that's probably what it was as I can't for the life of me see you winning any trophies at all with Man City in the next 4 years. They are just not trophy material and those guys who own the club wont be able to buy you success. Money, after all, isn't everything. Is it?
By G47e54a. Posted July 19 2009 at 1:42 PM.
In no way is Tevez ungrateful to United, he's just putting his playing interests first & probably sees City as an opportunity to play week in week out.
As idiotic as Maradona is as a coach, I doubt he'll pick someone who doesn't play every week (or at least frequently) for his club when selecting Argentina's World Cup squad.
Good luck Carlitos!!
By Azmi. Posted July 16 2009 at 10:05 AM.
He was a poor ball dribbler. He can't control the ball which often bounced off his feet by more than 2 to 3 feet. Due to his short height, he cannot outjump the central defenders. Due to his short legs he cannot outrun the speedy fullbacks. All he did was run and aimed sliding tackles at defenders. He had to make himself look busy on the field. Guys, go & rewind the EPL games of the last 2 years and you will see the horrendous misses that he made. Come on enough of this idiot and lets move on. If Mark Hugh has any decency, he should wring Carlos throat and command him to stop bad mouthing his mentor. No SAF...no mark hugh! And hugh was another idiot hiding behind his "new found wealth" while his new signing Carlitos was taking pot-shots at SAF. This already exposed hugh to be a poor manager and an ungrate. And 10 strikers on hugh's team list !....hey you rich arabian owners, are you blind? your manager is a poor leader, an ungrate and a lousy tactician. Inshallah !!
By singlionfish. Posted July 15 2009 at 8:00 PM.
Carlitos greedy?
Come on! He was raised in a slum. He knows how to be loyal. Actually he gave his very best for United and SAF only benched him for a year.
I once read in an interview that he played football in the slum where he was threatened with guns to play his best. Carlitos fears nothing and puts his soul in the game.
If Carlitos left United it is because he wants to play.
If anyone was in Carlito's shoes... what would you do?
Carlitos is no traitor.
By Fernan. Posted July 14 2009 at 6:07 PM.
I have actually followed Carlitos career since
he was at Boca Juniors. Carlitos has always been a winner. Every team he has played for has won cups,
and he was without a doubt a big part of that.
If United fans are unhappy that Carlitos left, you should be. Not at Carlitos, but at Ferguson for bringing in Berbatov. That was a huge slap in the face to Carlitos, and that is the primary reason he left. He really doesnt care about the money. There were teams willing to pay for his services. What Carlitos did was to stick it right back at Ferguson
for jerking Carlitos around. He wants to show
Ferguson what a mistake he made by playing his games, and bringing Berbatov, and chosing to start him rather than Carlitos.
He loves United as much as he loves Boca Juniors (which is saying alot). It was Ferguson's style and attitude that he hated.
Where most players play on the pitch, Carlitos
fights on the pitch. He plays the game angry,
which is what we Boca fans always loved about him.
By BRANDSEN805. Posted July 13 2009 at 11:25 PM.
Tevez is making the right choice. As a professional player he needs to leave united. After all he was not in Ferguson's best eleven. Good luck to him, his skill and application will make him triumph anywhere he goes.
By Ricardo. Posted July 13 2009 at 9:31 AM.
Tevez, no one in United dislike you. we still want you to come back to united. Forget about what had happened the previous seasons and think of Tomorrow.
By Emmy Duku. Posted July 13 2009 at 3:22 AM.
Tevez, sign for United.
By Emmy Duku. Posted July 13 2009 at 3:27 AM.
Carlos, win with city and you will be a hero for the rest of your life. City fans will love you more than any team in the world - be a part of the project.
By belperblue. Posted July 12 2009 at 6:35 PM.
Carlos, win with city and you will be a hero for the rest of your life. City fans will love you more than any team in the world - be a part of the project.
By belperblue. Posted July 12 2009 at 6:33 PM.
Football Talent means, that You do "things", what the others do not, or can not do.
Pitty, that capitalisme" entered football too and treatens to destroy it, like it keeps tryeing destroy The Planet Earth.
You can not "learn"football at the football scool, and
be a topp star, because You have got the "football diploma" and You are going to "work hard".
Football is a Play not a work".
Tevez past gives the explanation, why He is still "robd"on millions by "third party" who Owns Carlos.
I do prize The UK to do everything, to stop the Slave-trade like development at and arround the football fields.
Chears.Carlos Tevez is a great person, and I wish Hem The Very Best.
I do belive, if He choosez for City, City will be a serious chalanger, to winn the premier league.
By senseij. Posted July 12 2009 at 1:51 PM.
No wonder he wants to play for a mid-table club that offered him big pay instead of staying at Oldtrafford where the fans loves me much.He didn't think of the United fans again when he saw the kind of money from City.Poor Tevez,who wouldn't grab such offer after coming from such a background.I hope he understands that he will never win an trophy with Mancity and that they will let he go after few seasons and by then his worth in the market will drop drastically.
By John. Posted July 12 2009 at 12:49 PM.
No integrity from the man. Swapping United for City?
Shameful.
By Chimp. Posted July 12 2009 at 10:52 AM.
It's good to see Success Stories and this guy is one...
He's most welcome at Eastlands, where success will return..
By jde. Posted July 12 2009 at 10:52 AM.
Come back to united u were a superstar
By Red. Posted July 12 2009 at 9:16 AM.
greedy pig.
By dido. Posted July 12 2009 at 7:35 AM.
Carlos you can become a city legend,this is just the beginning.
By Robinhosthumb!. Posted July 12 2009 at 1:11 AM.