Fuerte Apache barrio in Buenos Aires is one of the toughest neighbourhoods in South America. Criminal gangs, prostitution and drugs are endemic, though street footballers flourish amid the prefabricated housing and exposed electricity wires. Carlos Tevez was born into this environment in 1984.
Sportswear which bears his name in Argentina emphasises this tough background, though it does not use his street name of "pit bull". That recently came to light during a trial which saw one of his brothers jailed for 14 years for armed robbery.
"All I did as a child was play football," said Manchester City's tireless and tenacious forward, 26.
"And so did my friends. So we were ready to play when we were 16 [the age Tevez made his debut for Buenos Aires giants Boca Juniors]. When I was eight I was playing against the boys who were 11, so I was not scared to play against men of 30 when I was 18.
"It's also important that in Argentina players are given a chance to play if they are good enough - and they usually are."
Tevez made his Boca debut in 2001 and won the 2003 Apertura league title, a year in which he was named South American Footballer of the Year. He won that award again in 2004 and 2005 - the year he moved to Corinthians, the Sao Paulo side.
Tevez's individual honours continued when he became the first Argentine to win Player of the Year in neighbouring Brazil.
"There's a rivalry between Brazil and Argentina because we are neighbours with glorious football histories, but it's based on respect," he said.
"In Brazil, I gave my best at all times. It's important to do this and I think the fans of Corinthians appreciated my efforts. There was never any hostility, just support because I always gave 100 per cent for the team."
Argentines moving to Europe was not new, moving to Brazil was, but Tevez's stock never diminished. Unlike Lionel Messi, who is criticised for leaving his homeland before playing professional football, Tevez had spent four seasons with Boca and claims he will finish his career there.
Moving is something Tevez has done consistently, though never conventionally. It was not Barcelona, Milan or Madrid, but England's West Ham United where he transferred next in 2006.
Initially unused by a coach who did not rate him, a managerial change saw him became their star player as he helped save West Ham from relegation in 2007. Tevez's crucial goal at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the final game of the season kept them up as the Hammers won 1-0.
That sealed his legendary status among Hammers fans and Tevez salutes this by crossing his wrists as a sign of solidarity on subsequent visits to Upton Park with the Manchester clubs.
His season at West Ham provoked controversy, with relegated Sheffield United arguing - and winning a court case - that his transfer from Corinthians was illegal because the player was owned by third parties and not the club.
Tevez was more effective surrounded by better players when he moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2007. He won the Premier League in his first season, forming a formidable partnership with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. United's man-of-the-match in the 2008 Champions League final, 2007/08 saw him weigh in with a creditable 14 league goals and four in the Champions League including a late equaliser at Lyon in the quarter-finals.
The following season was less productive, with just five goals. Tevez and the agents who own his rights, were angling for a new contract giving him parity with Rooney and the outgoing Ronaldo - over £90,000 a week (Dh513,000). United offered £70,000 and would not shift.
Despite United fans singing "Fergie, sign him up" during Sir Alex Ferguson's post-match speech to celebrate the 2009 league title, Tevez left the club a month later. City met his demands in a deal which will cost them £47 million.
An image of Tevez was plastered across a giant City-sponsored billboard in Manchester saying: "Welcome to Manchester" - a dig at United as their home lies just outside the city boundary. Tevez became a figure of hate among United fans who accused him of greed, thereby increasing his stock among City's faithful.
When the two clubs met in the Carling Cup semi-finals last season, Tevez goaded United's Gary Neville after scoring. Neville had criticised the Argentine's move across Manchester. United won the competition, but Tevez was City's outstanding player in his first season, scoring a career-best 23 league goals. Such form led Roberto Mancini, the City manager, to promote him to club captain. Tevez says he is happy at City and his ambition is to help them win a first trophy in 35 years. This could be the season.
@Email:sports@thenational.ae
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The%20Specs
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 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
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
%3Cp%3E1.%20Singapore%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Switzerland%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Denmark%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Ireland%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Hong%20Kong%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%20Sweden%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%20Taiwan%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%20Netherlands%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%20Norway%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sunday's games
All times UAE:
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace, 4pm
Manchester City v Arsenal, 6.15pm
Everton v Watford, 8.30pm
Chelsea v Manchester United, 8.30pm
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
Company%20profile
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20EduPloyment%3Cbr%3EDate%20started%3A%20March%202020%3Cbr%3ECo-Founders%3A%20Mazen%20Omair%20and%20Rana%20Batterjee%3Cbr%3EBase%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Recruitment%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2030%20employees%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20Pre-Seed%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Angel%20investors%20(investment%20amount%20undisclosed)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
