[FREE TO READ] Patrice Evra on Carlos Tevez‘s Manchester United exit

At Manchester United, Patrice Evra became close friends with Carlos Tevez, who controversially joined neighbours Manchester City in the summer of 2009. The pair remain in contact, last month spending time with former United team-mate Park Ji-sung.

“It was painful, man,” Evra says of Tevez’s move across Manchester. “It was heartbreaking. I couldn’t believe it. It was after the Champions League final (which United lost 2-0 against Barcelona) and he didn’t start. He had a beef with Ferguson.

”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.”