MY ACCOUNT
Carlos Tevez has resigned as head coach of Rosario Central just over four months after taking the job, declaring “I’m a manager and I don’t want to do politics.”
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.
