Football
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Atletico Madrid wanted me but I couldn't say no to Boca - Carlos Tevez

Former Juventus attacker Carlos Tevez has said he liked the idea of playing in Spain, but in the end, his heart called him back to Argentina and Boca Juniors.

Atletico Madrid were linked with a move for the Argentina international last summer and Atleti coach Diego Simeone admitted he had contacted his compatriot to play at the Vicente Calderon. 

Tevez moved back to Boca after two years in Turin for a fee of €6.5 million. He signed for Juve from Manchester City in 2013 and scored 20 Serie A goals in 2014-15 as the Old Lady won a fourth straight league title in 2015 as well as the Coppa Italia.

At Boca, Tevez helped the Argentine club do the same, winning their 25th Primera Division crown as well as the Copa Argentina.

Tevez, who admitted he was criticised for leaving Juve in his prime, said it was his wish was to return to his boyhood home despite the Atletico offer.

"[Simeone] called me and I was excited about the idea," Tevez told Marca. "Playing in Spain is something that is pending in my career, but I could not say no to Boca. Last year the only offer I had in Spain was from Atletico, but before that [Real] Madrid expressed interest in me."

The 32-year-old said that although he can now spend time with his family, he misses being able to go out in public without being swarmed by fans.

"Over there, the fans don't crowd you as much," he said. "Here, there is a mob no matter where I go. As for football, I miss very little, not even the elite level of competition, which we also have here."

As for the media criticism he faces in Argentina, he insisted it was the same everywhere.

"The media are like that. The same thing happens with Cristiano [Ronaldo] or [Lionel] Messi in Spain when they lose a match," he added. "I don't hide. I understand the rules of the game."

Asked whether he would return to the Albiceleste, Tevez said he was sure he would maintain his level of performance.

"I am enjoying myself because I see it like that," he said. "If not, I wouldn't play. I don't think about contracts or the money a teammate makes. On the day I am no longer having fun, I will play no longer. I have no problem with that. I could live without football."

Asked what he learned from being stopped twice for driving without a licence in England, he said: "I learned that I am not God. I drove badly and I thought nothing would come of it. But over there, you go to jail whether you are famous or not."

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