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James Porteous

“Carlos Tevez: Chinese players ‘aren’t skilled’ and ‘even in 50 years, won’t compete’” – The Guardian.
“Carlos Tevez hits back at the Chinese Super League after being told he is too ‘unfit’ and ‘overweight’ to play” – The Sun.
“Carlos Tevez risks wrath of Chinese football fans with scathing attack” – Mirror.
A brief selection of the countless headlines enticing you to click and find out more about the “€800,000-a-week Argentine misfit’s” latest China controversy.
They could be found in any language you like on Thursday and Friday from Buenos Aires to Beijing to Brisbane, as every website with an interest in page views (all of them) picked up on a story guaranteed to attract football fans’ eyeballs.
First prize went to Deadspin, the US sports blog: “Now Carlos Tevez Is Just Openly Talking Sh*t About Chinese Soccer”.
Tevez’s “explosive” quotes about the rubbishness of Chinese football and footballers were guaranteed clickbait gold – especially as the former Manchester United and Juventus star has been hopeless at Shanghai Shenhua, managing just three goals in 13 appearances while earning perhaps €25 million.

“They are not naturally skilled in the same way as South Americans or Europeans, players who learn football from childhood,” Tevez said in his “vicious blast”.
“I think that even in 50 years this soccer won’t be able to compete,” he added, at least according to the translation from SFR Sport, a French TV station that tweeted a video clip of the interview.
A terrific new twist in the Tevez-China soap opera – just a few days after Shenhua’s new manager said the striker was too fat to play.
Just one problem: the quotes are heavily edited and translated for controversial effect from a frank interview that Tevez gave in May about his struggle to adapt to life in China.
Many of the outlets rehashing the quotes this week even ran stories back then based on the original interview.

"Techniquement, ils ne sont pas bons" L'ITW surréaliste de Tevez sur les joueurs locaux du championnat chinois ⚽️ #BreakingFoot #CSL pic.twitter.com/BV7XhwfmuX
— SFR Sport (@SFR_Sport) September 19, 2017

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

As far as I can tell, this is what happened: Tevez speaks to La Casa del Futbol on South American broadcaster Movistar+ in May.
On Wednesday this week, SFR Sport, a French TV station, tweets a clip of the interview to their 107k followers to plug their show Breaking Foot, without attribution to Movistar+.
That tweet hits the top of Reddit’s popular soccer forum on Thursday, headlined “Carlos Tevez to French media: ‘Chinese players are not naturally skilled like South-American or European players. Like players who learned football when they were kids. They’re not good. [ ... ] Even in 50 years they still won’t be able to compete.’
Waking up and checking social media, UK journalists hurriedly rush out their “TEVEZ SLAMS CHINA” stories, based on the SFR tweet and Reddit headline.
Chinese media picks it up from Europe and on Friday Shanghai Shenhua are forced to issue a statement defending their man.

It’s modern journalism in a nutshell, where context, provenance and accuracy are far less important than being first with the clickbait headline.
(And I’m in no position to preach, having had my own “TEVEZ SLAMS CHINA” story ready to go before realising the story sounded familiar.)
From the West to the East, it continued to grow legs.
Tevez’s Chinese translator, Wang Kan, headed to Weibo to point out that Tevez was really saying that Chinese kids are not as talented as their European or South American counterparts because they don’t play all the time.

In the original interview Tevez finishes that sentence about “lacking technique” by saying that “this might improve in future with the new regulations the government has brought in” to get more kids playing – SFR conveniently omitted that.
No Chinese football fan would disagree with Tevez – it’s a simple fact – and most comments on Chinese sites were of the “He’s quite right,” and “Yeah, no duh,” variety.
Shenhua called it a “slander” of a translation and said SFR had added “oil and vinegar” to “deliberately distort” his meaning.
It’s worrying when you find yourself wholeheartedly agreeing with a Chinese organisation’s opinion of Western media.
Maybe SFR provided proper context in the segment on their show – but of course no one, including myself, writing the “TEVEZ SLAMS CHINA” stories had seen it.

Now with French, and then Chinese, subtitles and graphics superimposed pic.twitter.com/6BKmDWS7wn
— James Porteous (@JamesPorteous) September 22, 2017

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

The SFR clip was in turn reuploaded by Chinese sites, with Chinese subtitles and logos now superimposed on top of SFR’s own superimposition on the original Movistar+ video, so that Tevez’s face was hardly visible and viewers were getting the “scathing attack” twice-removed.
Click now, check facts later, if at all: modern journalism in a nutshell, Carlitos. Ah well, at least he has a Scrooge McDuck-style vault of cash in which to console himself.

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Chinese Super League

Why the latest ‘Carlos Tevez slams Chinese football’ stories sum up everything that’s wrong with clickbait fake news

Shanghai Shenhua’s Carlos Tevez has been a flop for sure, but this week’s stories are wildly unfair. Photo: AFP

A sample of the Carlos Tevez headlines on Friday. Photo: Google.com

(FILES) This file picture taken on September 16, 2017 shows Shanghai Shenhua's Carlos Tevez walking to the stands after losing the 2017 Chinese Super League football match between Shanghai East Asia (SIPG) FC and Shanghai Shenhua in Shanghai. Just eight months after Tevez signed with Shanghai Shenhua, the 33-year-old has become a symbol of Chinese clubs' largesse that the Beijing government hopes will never be repeated. / AFP PHOTO / Chandan KHANNA / TO GO WITH Fbl-Asia-CHN-Shenhua-ARG-Tevez, FOCUS by Peter STEBBINGS

This file picture taken on January 21, 2017 shows Argentine striker Carlos Tevez, posing with a jersey of his new club Shanghai Shenhua during a press conference in Shanghai. The 33-year-old forward who earns among the highest wages in football has shown a better attitude and is doing extra training of his own will, the coach of Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua said on September 15, days after he called the Argentine overweight. / AFP PHOTO / STR / - China OUT

'Chinese football is 50 years behind Europe,' blasts Carlos Tevez 

epa05882576 Argentinian player Carlos Tevez (R) of Shanghai Shenhua during a training session at the Workers Stadium in Beijing, China, 01 April 2017. Shanghai Shenhua will face Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League soccer match at the Workers Stadium in Beijing on 02 April 2017. EPA/ROMAN PILIPEY

Carlos Tevez of Shanghai Shenhua in action during an AFC Champions League match against Brisbane Roar FC in Shanghai, China. Tevez said it will take China 50 years to catch up with the elite of European football. Photo: EPA

Carlos Tevez doing extra training to shed pounds for Shanghai Shenhua after weight-gain criticism

Carlos Tevez is out of form and fitness at Shanghai Shenhua. Photo: AFP

(FILES) This file picture taken on June 17, 2017 shows Argentine striker Carlos Tevez (2nd R, blue) of Shanghai Shenhua fighting for the ball in their 13th round match against Chongqing Lifan during the 2017 Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) in Shanghai. But just eight months after Tevez signed with Shanghai Shenhua, the 33-year-old has been indefinitely dropped for being overweight and has become a symbol of Chinese clubs' largesse that the Beijing government hopes will never be repeated. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

This photo taken on June 21, 2017 shows Argentine striker Carlos Tevez of Shanghai Shenhua kicks the ball in their 4th round match against Beijing Guoan during the Chinese Football Association Cup in Shanghai. Shenhua shelled out some of the highest wages in football -- reported weekly wages of 730,000 euros -- to lure forward Carlos Tevez to China this season but he has scored just twice and is not expected to feature at the weekend after Poyet's replacement Wu Jingui said the Argentine was overweight. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

Carlos Tevez insists reports he will earn US$800,000 a week in China are untrue as he is unveiled by Shanghai

Argentine striker Carlos Tevez smiles during a press conference in Shanghai on January 21, 2017. Photo: AFP

Argentine striker Carlos Tevez (L) poses with a jersey of his new club Shanghai Shenhua during a press conference in Shanghai on January 21, 2017. Tevez held his first press conference for his new club Shanghai Shenhua, which reportedly has made him the world's highest-paid football player. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

Argentine striker Carlos Tevez takes part in his first training session with his new club Shanghai Shenhua in Shanghai on January 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

Argentine striker Carlos Tevez (R) takes part in his first training session with his new club Shanghai Shenhua in Shanghai on January 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

Argentine striker Carlos Tevez (L) shakes hands with his new teammates as he takes part in his first training session with his new club Shanghai Shenhua in Shanghai on January 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

Carlos Tevez must lose weight to play again in Chinese Super League, says his new manager

Carlos Tevez posing with the Shanghai Shenhua jersey. Photo: AFP

(FILES) This file picture taken on January 21, 2017 shows Argentine striker Carlos Tevez taking part in his first training session with his new club Shanghai Shenhua in Shanghai. Underperforming Carlos Tevez has returned to China following treatment in Argentina and is back training with Shanghai Shenhua, the club confirmed on August 31, 2017, allaying doubts about his immediate future. / AFP PHOTO / STR / - China OUT

Enough is enough: Shanghai Shenhua demand end to Carlos Tevez rumours amid so-called ‘wage crisis’

Carlos Tevez signed for Shanghai Shenhua this season. Photo: AFP

(151121) -- GUANGZHOU, Nov. 21, 2015 (Xinhua) -- Players of Guangzhou Evergrande celebrate during the awarding ceremony of the AFC Champions League final match between Guangzhou Evergrande and Al Ahli of United Arab Emirates in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 21, 2015. Guangzhou Evergrande won 1-0 and claimed the title. (Xinhua/Cao Can)

Brazilian soccer players Oscar (front, L) and Hulk (front, R) and Portuguese soccer player Ricardo Carvalho (front, C) attend the 2017 SIPG Football Club's season mobilization of the Chinese Super League, in Shanghai, China February 13, 2017. REUTERS/Aly Song

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Big-money Argentine flop’s latest ‘controversial comments’ are out-of-context remarks from an interview done in May – but who cares about that when there are page views to be counted?


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Column | Why the latest ‘Carlos Tevez slams Chinese football’ stories sum up everything that’s wrong with clickbait fake news

Big-money Argentine flop’s latest ‘controversial comments’ are out-of-context remarks from an interview done in May – but who cares about that when there are page views to be counted?