Tevez, fashion marketing genius?

In all recent photos of errant Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez – mainly from transatlantic airports and City's training ground – the Argentinian has sported different garish pieces from his fashion line, Tevez 32.

Tevez launched the line in his homeland last year during his well-publicised exile and it's currently available in 38 different stores around the country.

(Incidentally, the labels found on each item suggest that Tevez is popularly known as "el jugador del pueblo" – or "the player of the people". To which the only response must be, "Not the people of Levenshulme, pal.")

But if an expansion into the UK happens, has Tevez given the label the best soft-marketing push in the history of fashion? Shamelessly pushing his own clobber while being the most vilified player in British football takes some cojones – even for a player of Tevez's famed stubbornness.

Shots of him in tops featuring slogans such as Apache 32 and pictures of him celebrating have made the front and back pages of most UK papers – including this one – over the past few weeks, providing thousands of pounds of publicity for the fledgling label.

The player may be loathed across both halves of Manchester but Tevez 32 now has a huge brand awareness. Surely, he didn't refuse to warm up in Munich knowing the inevitable fallout would lead to him being photographed everywhere? Of course not. But if he had it would be a move worthy of even the smartest of marketing professionals.