Imagine, a seven month all-expenses paid holiday where you could play the occasional game of football?
Now imagine getting paid £32million-a-year to do it.
This pipe dream became reality for Premier League legend Carlos Tevez during his failed stint in the Chinese Super league with Shanghai Shenhua.
Tevez, 38, retired from professional football last week after spells in Argentina, Brazil, Italy and England and revealed the death of his adopted father was the reason behind him calling time on his career.
In a statement, Tevez revealed that he had offers from the MLS to prolong his career but felt it was the right time to hang up his boots.
“I have retired, it’s confirmed. They offered me many things, including from the United States,” he added.
“But that’s it, I have given everything. Playing the last year was very difficult but I was able to see my old man. I stopped playing because I lost my number one fan.”
Despite an illustrious career – winning the Premier League three times, two Serie A titles and the Champions League – Tevez recalled his time in China as a holiday, despite being the world’s highest-paid sportsman at the time.
He moved to Shanghai in 2017, two-years into his second spell at boyhood club Boca Juniors.
It made financial sense for the Argentine who was approaching his 33rd birthday and had just married his partner Vanesa in Argentina.
But the move wasn’t quite as lucrative on the pitch as it was off it as Tevez played just 20 times, scoring four goals and drawing criticism from senior figures at the club who branded him ‘overweight and unfit to play’.
“I was on holiday for seven months in China,” Tevez joked when questioned on his time in China by TyC Sports.
“It’s fine for the Shanghai coach and president to criticise me, I didn’t know what I was doing there.”
Tevez’s time in Asia came to an abrupt end and he subsequently secured a move back to Argentina for a third spell with Boca.
But the Argentine had some making up to do with fans at La Bombonera, some of which were angry at the striker’s decision to walk out on the club and join Shanghai.
“I know there are people who were annoyed by how I left, but that’s normal,” he said.
“I was not in a position to give 100 percent, but it was going to hurt the fans no matter what I did.
Cult hero Tevez was able to wipe the slate clean with Boca supporters by helping lead the club to the league title in 2020.
Controversy followed Tevez throughout his career starting from his transfer from Boca to Brazilian side Corinthians in 2005 – the biggest deal in South American football history at the time.
Tevez signed his contract through a deal with third-party organisation Media Sports Investments.
An investigation by Brazilian police later revealed MSI owned 35% of the player rights with another 65% owned by Just Sport Limited.
After a short spell at West Ham United, Tevez secured a two-year loan move to Manchester United after seeking FIFA assistance to rule on Tevez’s ownership.
A successful first season saw the Argentine pick up the first of his three Premier League titles followed by Champions League success over Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.
The acquisition of Dimitar Berbatov saw Tevez fall down the pecking order under Sir Alex Ferguson the following season leading to a departure from United to cross-town rivals Manchester City.
Tevez drew criticism from the red side of Manchester for crossing the divide.
But he was welcomed with open arms at City and he repaid them by helping fire the club to their first top-flight title for 44 years.
Source: Talk Sport