The father of Juventus forward Carlos Tevez is safe and well after being released by kidnappers, according to fresh reports in the Italian media.
TuttoSport claims a ransom of around £28,000 was paid to three men who abducted Juan Carlos Cabral in Argentina yesterday and he is now heading home to be with his family.
The Turin giants have granted their player time off and will not consider him for selection for tonight’s pre-season friendly clash with Cesena.
Tevez, who played for West Ham United and both Manchester clubs during his Premier League career before joining Juve a year ago, hurriedly left Italy in a bid to get to the bottom of the situation.
His father is said to have been car-jacked in the early hours of the morning, after which two telephone calls were placed, requesting ransom money in exchange for his safe return.
The second demand is believed to have been significantly higher than the first, suggesting the kidnappers belatedly realised they had the father of a multi-millionaire under their control.
They are said to have increased the request from £3,000 to almost £30,000 once they became aware of the identity of their victim’s son.
Tevez had been training with team-mates in Turin after being left out of Argentina’s squad for the World Cup campaign in Brazil, despite a successful first season in Serie A.
The 30-year-old helped fire Juve to a third consecutive Scudetto title.