Source: Telegraph
Sir Alex Ferguson's top 10 feuds
Here's 10 of the best Ferguson feuds:
1) Vs Arsene Wenger
"He's a novice and should keep his opinions to Japanese football." That's how Alex Ferguson welcomed Arsene Wenger into the Premier League in 1997. And their relationship became even more strained over the next decade, culminating in the infamous Pizza-gate controversy at Old Trafford in 2004, when Ferguson needed his suit dry cleaned after food went flying in the tunnel. Wenger largely held his own, famously observing that "everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home." Their bitterness has turned into something approaching mutual respect in recent years however, perhaps because Ferguson no longer sees Arsenal as genuine rivals.
2) Vs the BBC
Ferguson vowed he would never speak to the BBC after a 2004 documentary made allegations about his son, Jason, who is a football agent. Accusing the broadcaster of "breathtaking arrogance" Ferguson said: "They did a story about my son that was whole lot of nonsense. It all made-up stuff and 'brown paper bags' and all that kind of carry-on. It was a horrible attack on my son's honour and he should never have been accused of that. But it is such a huge organisation that they will never apologise."
3) Vs Real Madrid
"I would not sell them a virus," said Ferguson in December. But by June, he had sold them the World Player of the Year. Ferguson's contempt for Madrid extends beyond the Ronaldo saga, and is more than simple jealousy caused by their vast haul of European Cups. In May, Ferguson taunted Madrid about their historical links to Spanish dictator General Franco. "I read about [Real president Ramon] Calderon making the great statement that slavery was abolished many, many years ago. Well, did they tell Franco that?" Real, through newspaper Marca, responded by mocking up a picture of Ferguson morphing into Franco.
4) Vs Kevin Keegan
Keegan virtually created the Ferguson 'mind games' myth with this infamous finger-jabbing outburst as Newcastle's Premier League title hopes collapsed in 1996. Keegan would walk out of Newcastle the next season, and his clash with Ferguson would forever be remembered as a cautionary tale about the dangers of squaring up to the United manager.
5) Vs Rafa Benitez
Few opposition managers have been bold enough to take on Ferguson so publicly. Keegan's rant may have been more explosive, but that was delivered in the heat of battle. Benitez, in contrast, unfurled a sheet of A4 paper to read out a carefully prepared list of "facts" about Ferguson's perceived duplicity. The row still rumbles on, with Ferguson accusing Benitez of conduct "beyond the pale" last season. And just this weekend, he claimed the Spaniard was guilty of talking "absolute b*****s".
6) Vs David Beckham
In terms of stardom and profile, Beckham was to Ferguson as George Best was to Sir Matt Busby. And the two were on collision course after Beckham's marriage. "He was never a problem until he got married," said Ferguson. "He used to go into work with the academy coaches at night time, he was a fantastic young lad. Getting married into that entertainment scene was a difficult thing – from that moment his life was never going to be the same. He is such a big celebrity, football is only a small part. The big part is his persona." The low point of their relationship came when Ferguson kicked a stray boot in anger, smashing Beckham above the eye. "Of course it was an accident," he later said. "If I was that good I'd still be playing."
7) Vs Gordon Strachan
When Gordon Strachan, then a talented young midfielder with Aberdeen, chose to join Cologne in 1984, he couldn't have anticipated that Alex Ferguson, his then manager, would still be furious with him 20 years later. "I decided this man could not be trusted an inch - I would not want to expose my back to him in a hurry," wrote Ferguson in his autobiography. Regular Champions League meetings in the last few years have brought the pair together more often, and perhaps contributed to a slight thaw in their relationship.
8) Vs John Magnier
The Irish billionaire enjoyed a close relationship with Ferguson during much of his time as a United shareholder. Their shared passion for horse racing led to an arrangement where Ferguson and Magnier's wife Susan were joint owners of champion racehorse Rock of Gibraltar. The arrangement went well while the horse was winning seven consecutive Group 1 races. But Magnier and Ferguson fell out dramatically over who owned lucrative stud rights. The row which was eventually settled in an out of court settlement.
9) Vs Premier League
Ferguson accused the Premier League of "handicapping" United when drawing up the Premier League fixture list. "I'm not saying what they do down there, but next year we'll be sending somebody to see how it happens, I can assure you. I just don't understand how you can get the fixtures like that. They tell me it's not planned - bloody hell!” It was this outburst which promted Benitez to counter Ferguson's charge with his infamous list of facts.
10) Vs Manchester City
Ferguson has never needed to waste his best lines on City in the past. But their staggering spending spree - and the cheeky brilliance of that Carlos Tevez poster - have caused him to snap in dramatic fashion. "It's City isn't it? They are a small club with a small mentality. All they can talk about is Manchester United. They can't get away from it. They think taking Tevez away from Manchester United is a triumph. It is poor stuff."
