Carlos Tevez

Like the rest of the world's elite players, Boca Juniors star Tevez is on hiatus after the domestic season in Argentina was suspended.

Barcelona's squad have all taken a 70 per cent wage cut to ensure the club can continue to operate during Spain's state of emergency, while players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski have all made donations to support charities and organisations battling the spread of COVID-19.

Premier League club Newcastle United, Tottenham, Norwich City and Bournemouth have put non-playing staff on furlough to take advantage of a scheme recently introduced by the British government, while discussions between the top flight, the English Football League (EFL), League Managers Association (LMA) and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) are continuing over whether players in England should take wage cuts.

Former Manchester United and Manchester City forward Tevez has now weighed in, insisting players should be able to support themselves without being paid in full.

"A footballer can live six months or a year without receiving [wages]," Tevez said on America TV in Argentina.

"We are not in the same despair as those who live with kids every day, who have to leave their house at six in the morning and return at seven in the evening to feed the family. 

"We are not an example in this case; yes in other things. We have to be there and help. It is easy for me to speak from home, knowing that I have food for my children. 

"But desperate people, who cannot move and cannot leave the house. That is worrying."

Tevez also insisted clubs must do everything to support their communities.

"The clubs have to get involved. Instead of going to train in the morning, they [should] demand that you do things for the people," he said. 

"For example, go to the dining rooms in La Boca. I would be delighted to go. I know that my family is fine.

"That's where the great example begins. You can make videos, like me at home from my living room, but the great example would be that we all go out and help."

Tevez hopes one positive impact of the pandemic will be people becoming more supportive of each other, regardless of wealth.

"There are no shirts here. Social class does not matter. We all want to help," he added.

"Hopefully the world will be more supportive. We are realising that we are all the same. Hopefully we grow as a society and tomorrow this has changed the world for good. This virus teaches us that. Hopefully it is for the good and that we are all one and come out of this together."

Tevez enjoyed a glittering career, particularly in England where he played for both Manchester United and Manchester City.

As well as three separate spells at boyhood club Boca Juniors, he also spent time at Corinthians, West Ham United, Juventus and Shanghai Shenhua.

Tevez played his final game for Boca Juniors in 2021 before saying goodbye, though at the time he left the door open for a move to another team.

However, in quotes relayed by Mundo Albiceleste, Tevez said on Friday that even though he had received offers from Major League Soccer in the United States, he had stopped playing because he no longer had his "number one fan" after the passing of his father.

"I have retired, it's confirmed," he said. "They offered me many things, including from the United States. But that's it, I have given everything.

"Playing the last year was very difficult but I was able to see my old man. I stopped playing because I lost my number one fan."

Tevez won a remarkable 26 titles in his career and is among only four Argentine players to win both the CONMEBOL Libertadores Cup and the Champions League, lifting the biggest prize in European club football with United in 2008.

He also played at two World Cups for Argentina, in 2006 and 2010.

Tevez was only handed his first coaching role by the Argentine Primera Division side in June and his tenure has proved to be short.

The former Argentina striker stepped down on Thursday after Rosario's presidential elections were put back from last weekend to next month.

Amid off-field uncertainty, Tevez says it was in the best interest of both four-time Argentinian champions Rosario and himself that he opted to walk away.

"I want to communicate to the Rosario Central fans that I'm going to step aside, I'm not going to continue," he said during a press conference.

"I want to thank the fans for these four and a half months, almost five months of support. The truth is that I have no words to thank everyone for the affection, the dedication and the sacrifice of all these months.

"[I'm taking this decision] always thinking of Rosario Central, the club always comes first. I'm stepping aside thinking about the club. I don't want to be an obstacle to anyone.

"Let whoever comes in have the freedom to make his own signings. The most sensible thing I can do is to step aside."

With regards to the club's presidential elections, the 38-year-old added: "From the first day I said I wasn't coming to do politics, and when my name is used [in politics], it's something I don't like. They [president candidates] weren't talking about a project, they were talking about Tevez.

"It's not a fair game for me, because I'm not from here, I'm not a Rosario Central born guy.  I'm a manager and I don't want to do politics.

"[The elections] should have been last Sunday. Then it was postponed until December. It's something that catches us in the middle and you don't know who you're talking to. And if they postpone it until next year, we spent four or five months again with people who were not well disposed, angry. We've been managing it, with ups and downs, but we've been managing it.

"There is nothing else. As I have always said, Rosario Central comes first and not the people. When they want to put my name in politics, I won't allow that. I always want the best for Central."

Rosario are 20th in the Argentine top flight with only seven wins from 27 games.

Robben, 36, brought an illustrious playing career to an end last July shortly after his 10-year spell with Bayern came to an end.

Although at the time he was linked with a potential return to the team that gave him his professional debut, Robben - who suffered with numerous injury problems throughout his career - opted to retire.

But now he looks set to return, not only to top-tier football, but at the place where it all began.

In honour of Robben's return to his first club, we identified some other high-profile players who went to finish their careers back home.

Juan Roman Riquelme - Argentinos Juniors

Perhaps more synonymous with Boca Juniors, where he made his professional debut and also spent most of his final years, Riquelme also had a strong affinity with Argentinos Juniors. He came through the club's academy in the early-to-mid 1990s, before then finishing his immense career at Estadio Diego Maradona in 2014, having also played for Barcelona, Villarreal and Argentina. Although the iconic attacking midfielder appeared close to joining Paraguay's Cerro Porteno the following year, the move never materialised.

Dirk Kuyt - Quick Boys

Kuyt briefly came out of retirement two years ago to help Quick Boys, with whom he spent 13 years as a youth. Playing in the Derde Divisie Saturday league, Kuyt was already working as assistant at the time, but made himself available for selection during a striker shortage and he made three appearances. The former Netherlands and Liverpool forward had retired the year before following a second spell with Feyenoord, where he had made his initial breakthrough in the mid-2000s, his form at the time earning a move to Anfield.

Rafael Marquez - Atlas

One of Mexico's greatest players, Marquez's longevity at such a high level was nothing short of incredible, as he accumulated 147 international caps. After breaking into the Atlas team as a teenager having come through their academy, the elegant centre-back enjoyed a sparkling career in Europe, winning 14 titles across spells with Monaco and Barcelona. Time with New York Red Bulls, Leon and Hellas Verona followed, before a final two-year stint back at the Jalisco ended in 2018. Although plagued by off-field allegations towards the end of his career, Marquez went on to become the club's sporting president, before standing down last year to focus on other areas of the sport.

Juan Pablo Angel - Atletico Nacional

Angel perhaps never quite lived up to the expectations he set during his early days as part of River Plate's so-called 'Fantastic Four' with Javier Saviola, Ariel Ortega and Pablo Aimar, having joined from Colombia's Nacional. Nevertheless, he became a fan favourite at Aston Villa in the Premier League, before spending six years in MLS with New York Red Bulls, Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA. In 2013 he returned to Nacional for two seasons, having left them in 1997. He called it quits in late 2014, just a few days after losing to his former club River in the final of the Copa Sudamericana. "I am ending my career with a final between the two clubs I love the most," he said.

Henrik Larsson - Hogaborgs

While the Swedish club most may associate with Larsson is Helsingborgs, he actually made the breakthrough at a smaller side – Hogaborgs. It was here where he trained from the age of six, before eventually becoming a regular in the senior side and earning a move to Helsingborgs. A trophy-laden career followed, taking him to Feyenoord, Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United. Although he retired in 2009, he returned to the pitch for Raa in the Swedish third tier three years later, before then finding himself back in the team at Hogaborgs in 2013, helping out due to an injury crisis despite him only previously being registered to a casual team for 'seniors'. This gave him the chance to play alongside his son, Jordan.

Carlos Tevez - Boca Juniors

The Tevez-Boca love affair has dominated most of the striker's successful and complex career. After coming through their youth ranks, the feisty forward was seen as the heir to Maradona. A brief stint in Brazil with Corinthians followed, but Europe had long since beckoned, even if West Ham was by no means the expected destination. He went on to play for Manchester United and Manchester City, increasing tension between the clubs, before then going to Juventus, but throughout this time Tevez seemed to long for a return to Boca. He went back to La Bombonera in 2015, his homecoming interrupted by a brief spell with Shanghai Shenhua in 2017 in the Chinese Super League, though even Tevez acknowledged he saw his time in China as a "holiday". "He filled Santa's sack with dollars and now he has returned to Boca" was Maradona's assessment upon 'El Apache's' return from the CSL.

Former Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus forward Tevez, who began and ended his playing career with Boca Juniors, hung up his boots in early June.

His appointment with Rosario Central was confirmed on Tuesday as the 38-year-old was handed his first coaching job by the top flight club.

Tevez won a remarkable 26 titles in his career and is among only four Argentine players to win both CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores and the Champions League, lifting the biggest prize in European club football with United in 2008.

He was a regular member of the Argentina national team for many years, featuring alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain, but missed out on the squad for the 2014 World Cup where the team finished as runners-up to Germany.

Four-time Argentinian champions Rosario Central revealed on Tuesday that Tevez has signed a one-year deal, announcing on Twitter: "The Apache becomes the new blue-gold coach, after signing a contract with the club for 12 months."

Prior to Tevez signing his contract, goalkeeper Gaspar Servio told TNT Sports: "For me, it's something special that Carlitos [Tevez] can come here. 

"If he does come here, the group will back him to the death."

Tevez returned for a third spell with Boca in 2018 and helped the famous club win the Argentinian Primera Division title last year.

There were reports that Tevez, who was rocked by the death of his father in February, would retire on Friday but the 37-year-old revealed he was leaving Boca rather than calling time on his career.

The former Argentina international, who made his Boca debut aged 16, said: "I thought this moment would never come, but here I am. It will be very difficult to speak to them [Boca fans], but here I am to tell them that I will not continue at the club.

"It is not a farewell, but a see you soon, because I will always be there for the fan and for the Xeneize people, no longer as a player, but as the Carlitos of the people.

"Tell them that I am full and full with this decision because I no longer have anything else to give, as a player I gave it and for that I am happy. Boca always needs me 120 per cent and I am not mentally prepared to give them that.

"For me Boca is the best club in the world, my dad, my brothers, my mom, my wife and my children are from Boca and I can't lie to them and neither to the fans. For all this it is my decision, purely and exclusively mine, this is the truth of my decision."

Tevez, who scored three goals for Boca last season, said he has not had time to mourn the passing of his father.

"Boca leads you to give much more than the maximum and I am not in a mental condition to give it, because the truth is that I did not have time to do the duel for my father and I was already playing again, that is the requirement of Boca," he said.

"I want to thank the leadership, my team-mates and all the people of the club who work to make this club bigger and bigger.

"Many people asked me to stay until December and wait for people to return to the stadiums, that that would fill me up a little more, but that is what they want and it was very difficult for me.

"My greatest joy and satisfaction is the best memory I can have, the last time we saw each other and people shouted like crazy 'Boca Champion' and the children, parents and grandparents hugged, there is nothing more beautiful than that image.

"The last ovation to [Diego] Maradona on a pitch and the last time my dad saw me playing ball and become champion, the last time I saw my dad cry with joy because always and since the day I was born, I was born from Boca and I will die from Boca.

"There is nothing more beautiful and I do not need anything else to be happy. Xeneizes people I have no words to thank you. So much affection that I do not know if I deserve, the only thing I know is that my blood is not red, my blood is blue and yellow."

Former Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus frontman Tevez won 11 major titles for the Xeneize, the latest at the start of this year in the Copa Diego Armando Maradona where he created the decisive goal.

He is seventh on the list of most titles won for Boca and the club's 10th-highest scorer of all time with 94 from 279 matches.

Tevez has won a staggering 26 titles in his career and is among only four Argentine players to win both the CONMEBOL Libertadores Cup and the Champions League, lifting the biggest prize in European club football with United.

Former Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus forward Tevez announced his retirement last month at the age of 38, citing the death of his father as the reason why he turned down offers to continue playing.

Tevez won a remarkable 26 titles in his career and is among only four Argentine players to win both the CONMEBOL Libertadores Cup and the Champions League, lifting the biggest prize in European club football with United in 2008.

The former striker played his final game for boyhood club Boca Juniors in 2021, but could now be set to return to his homeland in a coaching capacity after four-time Argentinian champions Rosario Central confirmed their ambition to appoint him.

Vice-president Ricardo Carloni told TyC Sports: "The board accepted a proposal put forward by Tevez's staff, and we are now moving forward with the negotiations.

"We will discuss it this weekend. The proposal was approved by the board. The idea is that if all goes well, we could have him by Tuesday."

Goalkeeper Gaspar Servio, meanwhile, is enthused by the prospect of working under Tevez, telling TNT Sports: "For me, it's something special that Carlitos [Tevez] can come here. 

"If he does come here, the group will back him to the death. I hope he comes. He has a lot of experience as a player, and we are all ready to learn and to help Central."