ICONIC striker Carlos Tevez has sent three of his players back to school after they gave the wrong answer to a simple maths question.
Tevez, 39, became Independiente head coach back in August and the club have thrived under his leadership.
Carlos Tevez feels it is vital his players have a basic level of educationGetty
Tevez enjoyed a successful seven-year stint in EnglandAction Images – Reuters
They sit second in the Argentine Primera Division after four wins and three draws from their opening eight games.
Yet while their results have been impressive, Tevez was left unhappy with the intellect of some members of his squad.
The former West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City forward asked his players for the answer to 2+2 in an attempt to see how they cope under pressure.
And as three of his young stars failed to give the right answer, Tevez told the club they have a duty of care to give their players a basic level of education.
As a result, Independiente have organised two hours worth of classes after training each day.
They will focus on helping the players to achieve a level of reading, writing and arithmetic.
Speaking about his philosophy, Tevez, who was brought up in a poor area of Buenos Aires, said: “We do speed exercises in training that have a neuroscience element to them. When a player is physically drained, I ask him to solve a problem.
“I did an experiment by asking our players to solve simple addition and subtraction problems under physical stress.
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“At the end of one intensive exercise, I asked them to tell me the answer to two plus two – and three of the kids didn’t know how to add or subtract. These are players from the first division!
“This is the definition of poverty. We can give people food and material help, but it is only through study that you can truly emerge from poverty.
“To live with dignity it is essential to study, know how to read and know what paperwork you are signing. This is the only way for these kids to defend themselves.
“We have now put together a project with the club to give them a teacher and the working space to do two hours of study after training so that they can fill the gaps in their education.
“If you don’t know what you are signing when a contract is placed in front of you, it is very difficult to save yourself and your family.”
Tevez spent seven years in England with West Ham, Man Utd and Man City.
He won two Premier League titles, the League Cup and Champions League during his time at Old Trafford.
He then went on to win the Premier League and FA Cup with rivals Man City, before departing for Juventus where he claimed back-to-back Serie A titles.
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