Carlos Tevez confirmed as new manager of Rosario Central

The rumours, it turns out, were true: Carlos Tevez has been named as the new manager of Rosario Central, less than a month after confirming his retirement as a player.

The 38-year-old former Argentina international, who announced he was hanging up his boots on June 4, will take over the club on a one-year contract. The troubled side are currently mired in the lower half of Argentina's top flight, well off the pace. 

Tevez, nicknamed ‘El Apache’, led training on Tuesday ahead of his first match. His ambitions are high – he believes the club is a “sleeping giant.”

"I'm taking on this first challenge for the fans. If we do things right we can make a lot of noise and a lot of history," he said at a press conference in Rosario.

"This club is a sleeping giant. I have a lot of confidence in these players and I haven't asked for any reinforcements. First we will see what we have," said the new coach.

Central is one of Rosario's two great teams, along with arch-rivals Newell's, the protagonists of a historic clásico only comparable in Argentina to Boca and River. 

Tevez's playing career included successful stints in the Premier League with both Manchester United and Manchester City clubs, as well as a spell with Juventus in Italy before his third and final playing contract with Boca Juniors.

At Manchester United he won two Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League, scoring in the penalty shoot-out against Chelsea. 

A year later he made the controversial decision to cross Manchester to join United's biggest rivals, helping City to win the 2011-12 Premier League, their first English league title since 1968.

At international level he won 76 caps for Argentina, and was a member of the 2004 Olympic gold medal-winning team.

– TIMES/AFP