Carlos Tevez's assertion that John Terry would have "lost his legs" in his old neighborhood in Argentina for having an affair with Wayne Bridge's ex-partner is the stuff of journalistic fantasy.
The Manchester City striker twisted the knife further into Terry with quotes in the English press on Thursday suggesting the former England captain lacked a moral code.
Fresh from his two-goal demolition in Saturday's 4-2 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - a match in which he also squared up to Terry - Tevez has prompted further headlines.
Tevez does indeed come from one of the roughest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires (Fuerte Apache, hence Tevez's nickname "El Apache") and may not have been exaggerating in the interview.
But whatever the case, quotes of this nature are great for the game. In an era when players have more media training than ever before and press officers are constantly on their shoulders, such a candid interview is a breath of fresh air.
The number of press conferences I see where players simply go through the motions, churning out the 'each game as it comes'-style cliches, it is just a relief when a player says something out of the norm, and dare I say it, controversial.
Tevez has previous, too. In January he labeled Gary Neville a 'boot-licker,' while on joining City he criticized Sir Alex Ferguson for treating him badly at Manchester United.
With teammates Craig Bellamy and Martin Petrov hardly shy with their feelings, the club is proving a happy hunting ground for quote-hungry hacks.
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Comments
Go Tevez! It’s great to hear something that’s not been processed through the “political correctness” machine. Carlos is old school male! Say it, mean it, back it up! Also, Stewart, I agree with you about the watchability of City. They’re loaded with characters and talent, and I think that next season Mancini will have them at the top of the table.
Yes, City can be good to watch when they go for it. But if Mancini is to be a success at the club he needs to learn to take the handbrake off for longer periods of the match, not just send out a team that attacks for a spell. I have rarely seen two such contrasting halves from a side as when they beat Chelsea 4-2. In the first-half they were very negative, looking like they were waiting for Chelsea to score, but after half-time, the pace of Bellamy and a more positive general approach killed the London team.