Carlos Tevez has admitted he "wanted to kill" former team-mate Gary Neville after claiming a broken promise from Sir Alex Ferguson led to his controversial move to Manchester City in 2009.
The Argentine forward had been on loan at Manchester United from West Ham and was expected to make his move permanent after forming a formidable attack with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, which won two Premier League titles and the Champions League. However, Tevez has now claimed it was a broken promise from Ferguson that led to his shock transfer.
Ferguson's Promise
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand's "Rio Ferdinand Presents" channel, Tevez told his former team-mate: "They spoke to me [before] the two-year loan. After, if you play well, [we] pay the contract after one year."
He added: "Fergie told me: 'Carlos, now I'm going to pay out your contract and you're going to stay in Manchester'. The team went to a pre-season. I remember this conversation with Fergie."
Tevez said Ferguson assured him: "I'm going to pay for Berbatov but you, don't worry, I'm going to buy you and we'll do your contract." However, he claimed United refused to pay the fee that would have made his deal permanent.
Fallout with Neville
Tevez continued: "They don't understand about Fergie speaking to me, or behind the scenes. What happened between Fergie and me, I think people don't understand that."
He said: "I think that Ferguson had, from the day we talked, up to six months to keep his word. And he didn't. On the contrary, he started leaving me on the bench. In my head, he started pushing me aside so he could bring down what I was worth. And that's what hurt me the most."
Tevez moved to bitter rivals City, with the club famously raising a banner reading "Welcome to Manchester". The move left United stalwart Neville furious. Ferdinand recalled: "We went to play against you - you wanted to kill Gary Neville?" Tevez admitted he "wanted to fight".
Ferdinand said he had seen the anger in the Argentine's eyes after believing Neville had been "speaking too much" in the press. Tevez fumed: "Gary, he said that I didn't respect Ferguson... He didn't understand me. He didn't understand the situation!"
Revenge and Reconciliation
After a spell away from City following a falling out with Roberto Mancini, Tevez won the Premier League in 2012 and celebrated with a "RIP Fergie" sign.
Time appears to have healed old wounds, and Tevez now has a soft spot for the Red Devils. He said: "It was hard because I felt like I'd given my heart to United. And I didn't feel the same."
He added: "I didn't feel the same because, if you remember, we won the Champions League. We won the league and, and then, to bring down my price, they brought in a player and I carried on the same way for the first months."
Tevez concluded: "The second months, let's say, of the second year. But by the second, the second month, I didn't want to know anymore. I had a great time at United. The other team, City, for me, was like a revenge. I didn't get back what I gave."
