Crossing the Manchester divide
Tevez sent shockwaves through English football in 2009 when he traded Manchester United for fierce local rivals Manchester City. At the time, City were freshly armed with Abu Dhabi investment and determined to disrupt the Premier League's established hierarchy.
Tevez had enjoyed immense success at Old Trafford, securing two league titles and a Champions League crown. However, a bitter contract dispute triggered his departure across the city.
The Argentine striker felt aggrieved by Sir Alex Ferguson, claiming the legendary Scottish manager broke a verbal promise to sign him permanently after his two-year loan spell concluded. This tension laid the foundation for an acrimonious exit and a lingering rivalry with former captain Neville, who accused Tevez of disrespecting the manager.
Neville's accusations and Tevez's fury
The animosity between Tevez and Neville stemmed from the full-back's public assertion that the striker had mishandled his departure. Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel, the scale of that friction was laid bare.
Ferdinand reminded his former team-mate: “When I played against you, you wanted to kill Gary Neville.”
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Tevez smirked in agreement, explaining that his anger was fuelled by Neville's ignorance of the boardroom reality. "Gary, he said that I didn’t respect Ferguson. He didn’t understand me. He didn’t understand the situation," Tevez replied.
The forward pointed the finger firmly at his former manager for the breakdown in relations. "I think that Ferguson had, from the day we talked, up to six months to keep his word. And he didn’t," Tevez added. "On the contrary, he started leaving me on the bench."
A lack of loyalty
Neville never forgave Tevez for crossing the city divide. The former England international later accused the striker of downing tools during his final days at United, sparking a live television row with Tevez’s then-agent, Kia Joorabchian.
Reflecting on the transfer, Neville made his feelings clear regarding the unwritten rules of playing for Manchester United. "I couldn't understand how he would want to engineer a move to your closest rivals," Neville previously stated. "City were building a project at the time but they weren't anywhere near where we were. I couldn't understand it, the lack of loyalty."
He added: "You come to United you embed yourself in the team and you wed yourself to the club. You can't go and play for them, if we still want you, you can't play for them."
A lasting Premier League legacy
Tevez immediately made his presence felt on the blue half of Manchester, scoring three goals in a two-legged League Cup semi-final against United during his debut season, though City ultimately lost the tie.
Despite a highly publicised fallout with manager Roberto Mancini that saw him spend months away from the club, Tevez eventually returned to the fold. He played a crucial role in the run-in as City secured their historic 2012 Premier League triumph, cementing his legacy as a central figure in Manchester's shifting football power dynamic.