Rafael rips into ex-Man Utd teammate Carlos Tevez and explains why he dislikes him

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·2 novembre 2023

Rafael rips into ex-Man Utd teammate Carlos Tevez and explains why he dislikes him

Former Manchester United defender Rafael da Silva has criticised his former teammate Carlos Tevez, revealing that they never got along. The pair played for the Red Devils together between 2008 and 2009.

During this time, the South Americans were at very different phases of their careers. The Brazilian was a young player taking his first steps into the first team, while the Argentinian was a crucial element in United's formidable attack alongside Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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This was a very successful spell for the Old Trafford outfit. They established themselves as one of the most dominant teams in Europe, winning two Premier League titles, a League Cup, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup. However, Rafael's latest statement shows that things were not always harmonious behind the scenes.

Rafael reveals he dislikes Carlos Tevez

Speaking to Brazilian outlet Sportv via The Mirror, the former Lyon full back opened up about Tevez's behaviour and how it eventually led to a bust-up on the pitch when the striker faced off against his former club after joining rivals Manchester City.

Rafael said: "I’m not a fan of Tevez, not as a player. I’ve already had a fight with him. The game against City, he’d left United. I’ve never been a fan of his because Tevez liked to rubbish new players. I’m not ashamed to say, I don’t like him.

The defender did admit that his former teammate was overall respectful of others around the club. However, he reiterated that this was not replicated in his treatment of younger players.

Rafael added: "He did a lot to young players. He treated the youngsters badly at United. He was always very respectful, but he really picked on the youngsters there, so I never liked him."

The tension between the two reached boiling point after the striker moved to United's noisy neighbors in 2009. The groundbreaking transfer did nothing to alleviate any of the animosity that already existed. When the pair faced off in 2010, they had to be separated by officials, something which da Silva also recalled.

"The fight happened, I hit him," stated the 33-year-old. "The referee gave a foul, I did like this to get him off, he pushed me, and it started."

VIDEO: Rafael and Carlos Tevez clash in the Manchester derby

What happened to Rafael and Tevez

While Tevez left United in 2009, the defender stayed at the club until 2015. During his spell, he won three Premier League Titles, two League Cups, one Club World Cup, and three Community Shields."

He has since plyed his trade across Europe for the likes of Olympique Lyon and Basaksehir FK. He is currently back in his native Brazil, representing Botafogo. He has also made two appearances for Brazil.

Tevez on the other hand had left England in 2013 and featured for Juventus, Boca Juniors and Shanghai Shenhua. 'The Bulldog' retired in 2022 and now manages Argentinian side Independiente.