Carlos Tevez 's approach to the fallout with Manchester City has backfired on the Argentine. Michael Regan / Getty Images
Carlos Tevez 's approach to the fallout with Manchester City has backfired on the Argentine. Michael Regan / Getty Images
Carlos Tevez 's approach to the fallout with Manchester City has backfired on the Argentine. Michael Regan / Getty Images
Carlos Tevez 's approach to the fallout with Manchester City has backfired on the Argentine. Michael Regan / Getty Images

Manchester City's stand for principles


Richard Jolly
  • English
  • Arabic

There was a time, before player power entered the sporting vocabulary, when it merely appeared a description of a physically forceful footballer. Those were more innocent times, a preferable era.

The Tevez Saga

Manchester City firm on Carlos Tevez price amid Milan club's interest. Read article

Time to jettison the diva of derision Carlos Tevez. Read article

Decision to allow Carlos Tevez to lift FA Cup was injudicious. Read article

Now it has become a constant complaint of managers, chief executive and chairmen, an enemy not merely of football clubs, but also of football fans.

Carlos Tevez has become the personification of player power, seemingly operating under the assumption that clubs will bow to his every whim.

Manchester City, it is implied, should let him dictate the terms of the transfer as well allowing him to choose his destination, even though he has not represented them for four months in which he has either been suspended or effectively gone on strike.

City, it seems, are supposed to bend over backwards to get him off the books.

It is an attempt to hold the Premier League leaders to ransom, and it is not his first.

And yet this particular ransom note has been sent to the wrong place. Wealth provides a choice. Poorer clubs would have been forced to capitulate, rationalising that a lesser or even a temporary return on their investment was better than none at all.

City do not want to write off Tevez's transfer fee and pay his sizeable wages, but they can afford to. Moreover, they should be applauded for their willingness to do so.

It is a principled stand in a frequently murky world, one that comes at a cost but may elevate the club's reputation. Few results have done as much for Roberto Mancini's standing as his willingness to exile Tevez after the striker refused to warm up and, the manager believes, come off the bench against Bayern Munich.

Sir Alex Ferguson was among those to praise his City counterpart. It indicated a recognition in the game that Tevez had gone too far, just as there are clubs who refuse to deal with his controversial adviser, Kia Joorabchian. He appears to believe City is a cash cow that can never be bled dry.

It is a major misjudgement, one where the wounds have been sustained by his client.

At 27, Tevez should be at the peak of his powers, a prized player rather than a pariah. Instead, by the time his contract expires in 2014, he could have gone almost three years without an appearance, losing his status as one of the most coveted strikers in the game to become, effectively, an ex-footballer.

That is what makes his a landmark case. No world-class talent has become an outcast at his own club in such a style. Whenever that scenario has seemed possible in the past, someone has backed down.

But City have compromised to keep Tevez happy before; they were willing to structure a deal to suit Corinthians last summer. Their understanding has not been reciprocated. Tevez's hardline approach has backfired.

Whether he actually does rot in the reserves and sulk in the stands or merely plays golf in Argentina remains to be seen.

Whichever, given his talent, it is a crying shame. But he has no one to blame except himself. And Joorabchian.

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World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

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  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
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Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

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Fresh faces in UAE side

Khalifa Mubarak (24) An accomplished centre-back, the Al Nasr defender’s progress has been hampered in the past by injury. With not many options in central defence, he would bolster what can be a problem area.

Ali Salmeen (22) Has been superb at the heart of Al Wasl’s midfield these past two seasons, with the Dubai club flourishing under manager Rodolfo Arrubarrena. Would add workrate and composure to the centre of the park.

Mohammed Jamal (23) Enjoyed a stellar 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League campaign, proving integral to Al Jazira as the capital club sealed the championship for only a second time. A tenacious and disciplined central midfielder.

Khalfan Mubarak (22) One of the most exciting players in the UAE, the Al Jazira playmaker has been likened in style to Omar Abdulrahman. Has minimal international experience already, but there should be much more to come.

Jassim Yaqoub (20) Another incredibly exciting prospect, the Al Nasr winger is becoming a regular contributor at club level. Pacey, direct and with an eye for goal, he would provide the team’s attack an extra dimension.