Patrice Evra claims Man City’s dominance would never have started without Carlos Tevez.
The Frenchman reveals Tevez’s move was “payback” to Sir Alex Ferguson.
City are hunting their seventh league title in nine years, trailing Arsenal by nine points.
One legendary figure from within Manchester United has credited Manchester City’s rapid rise in Premier League title successes to one particular cross-town signing.
The landscape of English football shifted on its axis in the summer of 2009 when the “Welcome to Manchester” billboard first appeared in Deansgate.
While United were coming off the back of three consecutive Premier League titles, the controversial acquisition of Carlos Tevez signalled the beginning of a relentless blue tide that has since seen City amass 19 major trophies under the Abu Dhabi ownership.
As the current 2025/26 season reaches its crescendo – with City most recently securing the Carabao Cup at Wembley and progressing to an eighth straight FA Cup semi-final – reflections on the foundations of this success remain a point of contention at Old Trafford.
For those who shared a dressing room with Carlos Tevez during Manchester United’s golden era, the departure remains a “betrayal” that fundamentally altered the balance of power in English football.
Inside the heartbreak of Tevez’s 2009 switch
Speaking exclusively to The Athletic’s Adam Crafton in a new interview, Patrice Evra has admitted the difficulty of seeing Carlos Tevez leave Manchester United for Manchester City in the summer of 2009.
“It was painful, man. It was heartbreaking. I couldn’t believe it,” Evra said of the Argentine’s departure. “It was after the Champions League final (which Manchester United lost 2-0 against Barcelona) and he didn’t start. He had a beef with [Alex] Ferguson.”
Evra’s emotional phone call to Carlos Tevez revealed
Evra continued, “Tevez was like ‘They didn’t offer me nothing’. I saw it on holiday. Boom! Tevez is joining Manchester City. I called him and said, ‘I’m going to kill you, I’m going to break your legs Carlito’.
“This was too painful. It was difficult to swallow. But I think this was a payback to Sir Alex Ferguson. That’s why I was disappointed, because at the end, you will never know the true story.
“But we paid the price heavily. If Tevez didn’t sign for City, I don’t think they would even start winning one league. You feel betrayed, but he is still my brother. You have to respect his choice.”
Carlos Tevez’s impact at the City of Manchester Stadium was immediate, captaining the club to their first piece of silverware in 35 years through the 2011 FA Cup, followed by the iconic 2012 Premier League title.
Today, his striking importance has been passed on to the likes of Erling Haaland, who continues the lineage of world-class centre-forwards that have made the Etihad Stadium their home.
With Ruben Dias and John Stones currently facing fitness tests ahead of the Chelsea clash on Sunday afternoon, Manchester City’s ability to recruit game-changing ‘spine’ players remains their greatest asset.
As Manchester United continue a rebuild under the INEOS regime and the transitional process following Sir Alex Ferguson’s exit in 2013, Patrice Evra’s comments serve as a reminder of the moment a cross-town “betrayal” sparked one of the greatest dynasties in sporting history.