The club claimed in a piece of pathetic PR that they had managed to deprive Tevez of £9.3 million in salary, bonuses and fines. Tevez surely won’t miss the money – but City will. They are trying to fit into the UEFA Financial Fair Play rules, which require clubs to break even in the long term. Millions can make a difference to them. But not to Tevez.
Why City felt the need to bring this up, no-one knows. They have conducted themselves shamefully throughout this episode.
Tevez may even be successful should he appeal as he is considering doing to get some of the money back. The club have not been paying Tevez’s salary, and whilst it seems reasonable on one level, considering that he is not fulfilling his contractual duties, the club should be worried that they are getting nowhere fast in offloading the troublesome forward.
PSG, AC Milan and Inter Milan all seem to have failed to agree a deal to sign the player. Juventus’ interest has gone quiet too. Was this a ruse by City to drive up Tevez’s value and spark a bidding war? Corinthians have long wanted to bring the player back, and it seems likely that Tevez would go if they make an offer which City accept.
They want him gone by the end of the month and the longer Corinthians leave it before making their move, the better it is for them if they do want to bring him in, driving his price down.
This whole situation does not reflect well on Tevez, who has behaved impestuously. But throughout City, backed by their slick PR, have tried to have their cake and eat it too. The team who have done more than any other to devalue the sport through their endless wealth are trying desperately to extract as much as they can from his inevitable transfer.
If they are successful in doing so, it would surely be a bad thing for football. But with his value depreciating rapidly, it surely won’t be long until his value plummets so low that City simply have to accept any offer for the player. The game continues.
