- Rafael has pulled no punches when it comes to his thoughts on Carlos Tevez
- The pair clashed at the Etihad Stadium during a Manchester Derby in 2010
- Big debates on Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal on It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Rafael da Silva has reignited his feud with Carlos Tevez, claiming he has ‘never been a fan of his’ because he would ‘pick on’ youngsters while at Manchester United.
Sir Alex Ferguson recruited Tevez in 2007 from West Ham as he looked to bolster his attacking options, adding to Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
The fruits of that move led to a Premier League title and Champions League success in the Argentine’s first season – but it is safe to say Rafael never saw eye-to-eye with the volatile striker.
‘I’m not a fan of Tevez, not as a player,’ the Brazilian told Sportv. ‘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. 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.’
Tevez enjoyed great success at United, winning a second league title in his second season.
And while they only spent a year together in the first team, Rafael felt he had a score to settle when Tevez, who left for rivals Man City in 2009, came up against him as an opponent in 2010.
During one particularly feisty Manchester Derby, Rafael squared up to Tevez and they had to be separated by referee Chris Foy.
It was one of the big talking points from a dismal 0-0 draw and while Rafael looked to play it down at the time, he had no issue bringing it back up now.
‘He left United for City. The fight happened, I hit him,’ Rafael added.
‘The referee gave a foul, I did like this to get him off, he pushed me and it started.’
Rafael had little respect for Tevez going to one of Man United’s biggest rivals and even at 20, felt he had a score to settle with how he felt Tevez had treated young players while at the club.
He rejected the idea it was a Brazil-Argentina issue and says his dislike purely stems from their time together at United.
Of the two players it is Rafael that is remembered with more fondness by United fans.
The full-back spent eight years at Old Trafford from 2008 to 2015.
He accumulated 170 appearances for United and went on to win three Premier League titles.
From there Rafael had a five-year stint in France with Lyon, before spells at İstanbul Başakşehir and then Botafogo , who he joined in 2021.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
