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For a man whose style of play is based on a tremendous energy and passion, his love affair with football was in crisis.
Fast forward to the Juventus Stadium in Turin and another compelling Champions League night.
The eyes of the football world are upon him as he stands behind the ball, perched on the penalty spot, and revs his run-up. The balance of this semi-final feels like it just might hinge on this kick. He is, in this moment, a man in his footballing element. It was, after all, his fiery run that started it all, as he won the spot-kick by driving straight at the heart of Real Madrid’s rearguard. Like everything he has done this season in the black and white of Juventus, Tevez approaches the task with hot determination and a big-game temperament. He verily thumps the ball straight down the middle of goal. Down the other end, a Juventus icon Gianluigi Buffon screams in delight. Tevez shakes a triumphant fist.
He has become a talismanic figure for the Old Lady. His scoring exploits (he is currently Serie A’s leading marksman), and infectious, driving energy, have been instrumental in Juventus wrapping up the scudetto before this European semi-final mission got under way.
Juventus have been blessed with some remarkable No10s in their history. Omar Sívori, another Argentinian and a striker admired enough to win the Ballon d’Or in 1961, is perhaps the most iconic of them all. Michel Platini graced the shirt in a European Cup-winning side. Roberto Baggio took up the baton in the 1990s, and then passed it on to Alessandro Del Piero. “I hope he wears the No10 jersey with love,” said Del Piero of Tevez. He certainly doesn’t wear it lightly.
Tevez is enjoying a renaissance, and has flourished under the guidance of Max Allegri, who quickly made it a priority when he took over at Juventus to give the 31-year-old more license to roam from deeper positions. When the player was asked what has changed this season for him under the new coach, Tevez could not have sounded more content. “Everything,” he said. “Tactics, management, really everything. With him I have more freedom on the pitch and I like it.”
That freedom was evident from kick-off, when Juve tore at Real Madrid with an urgency that underlined their desire to take a lead to the Bernabéu. Carlo Ancelotti’s team committed a cardinal sin by allowing Tevez the space to wreak damage early on. His game brimmed with livewire running and a shoot-on-sight spark in his boots.
Tevez supplied the trigger for Juventus taking an early lead. A smart pass from Claudio Marchisio gave him a sight of goal and the former West Ham man drilled his shot fast and low, whipped through Raphaël Varane’s legs. Iker Casillas could only tip it into the path of Álvaro Morata. The goal was unmissable. The improvement in Juventus’s European clout was really obvious not when they were on top early on, but when they needed to recover from Real Madrid’s best spell in the game, when they equalised through Cristiano Ronaldo.
His goal was laid on a platter by James Rodríguez’s cleverly-hooked pass. The visitors ought to have taken the lead, too, when Rodríguez’s close-range header struck the frame of the goal.
There was some tension in the air as Juventus contemplated Real’s threat. But it was another of Tevez’s direct runs which swung the mood, leading to that penalty and a seventh Champions League goal of the season. He was a superb outlet for the Italian champions.
Admittedly he arrived with baggage – Tevez’s absence from Manchester City would have raised questions for any suitor, and the history of his transfer deals with the frustrations associated with third-party ownership brings obvious complications – but the £10m he cost Juventus has been handsomely repaid.
Tevez’s Juventus affair is vibrant, although there is an awareness it might be short-lived. He has been mooting his exit from European football. His desire to return to the club of his heart, Boca Juniors, within the next year or so is strong. In the meantime, however, he is relishing centre stage, and Juve love him for it.
