Manchester United v Barcelona: Patrice Evra fights for his family

Published: 23 May 2009 - 16:30:57

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Manchester United v Barcelona: Patrice Evra fights for his family

Champions League final Barcelona v Manchester United Kick-off: Wed May 27, 7.45pm, Olympic Stadium, Rome, Italy TV: Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports HD1, ITV1, ITV HD Radio: BBC Radio Five Live In the first few minutes of last week's 0-0 draw at Old Trafford, a group of Arsenal players systematically targeted Evra, Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie also putting the boot in. It was a premeditated act of revenge on their part, obviously provoked by Evra's ill-judged comments after the second leg Champions League semi-final at the Emirates, where United had won 3-1. "Men against babies," Evra told the French press. If Evra had intended to wind up Fabregas and Co, it clearly worked. However the way the Arsenal players responded seemed an unforgivable escalation. "The bad challenge was Fabregas when he touched my knee," Evra explained. "I was very angry because, OK, maybe I was not happy with what I said in the semi-final of the Champions League, but I think that when you have a problem with somebody, you need to try to win on the pitch, not kick someone. Or see me outside the pitch; that is the best way." Fabregas has had a stormy season – on Friday he was exonerated by the FA last week for his role in an unseemly spat after Arsenal's FA Cup win over Hull earlier this season – and Evra says he owes referees Mike Dean thanks for ensuring that he did not react in kind to Arsenal's physical approach. "I want to say thanks to the referee because he came to me and said: 'Pat, I don't know what's going on, but a lot of Arsenal players are angry with you, try to make my job easier. I don't want you to do something bad, because you're not the kind of player who does bad tackles. I know it's difficult for you, but just try to relax.' When he said that I could feel myself calm down." Had Evra's knee suffered more than a bruise it could have been disastrous for United. The France left-back, 28, is in fine form and his priority on Wednesday night will be shackling Barcelona's hyper-talented Lionel Messi. He did just that last season, as United kept clean sheets in both legs of their semi-final with Barcelona. Being without him would have given Alex Ferguson a real problem. "You think you might miss the final for some stupid tackle. I was going to react in a bad way, but the referee made me calm myself down. I don't understand why the players of Arsenal did that. "OK, I said some things they didn't appreciate after the game at The Emirates but when some players speak about United they say we are not a good team I try on the pitch to show we are by scoring a goal or helping to win the game not to kick someone back, that is easy to do. If you want to do that you go in the boxing ring not on the pitch. "That is not the way to play football at all – it is not the way. I don't know why they did that." Evra is outspoken and direct, occasionally mischievous and, by his own admission, wired with a short fuse. Just last week he expressed his anger at the perceived injustice of the Football Association giving him a four game ban for his role in the post-match scrap with a Chelsea groundsman at Stamford Bridge last season. There is a sense of self-worth to Evra born of his having had to fight for a career in the game. Born in Dakar, Senegal, he moved to France via Belgium as a child. Playing as a striker with Paris Saint Germain, Evra struggled to get a contract and left for Italy's Serie C at the age of 17 to play with Sicilian club Marsala. He was the only black player in the whole division and opposition fans dished out the predictably ignorant abuse. However, Evra, those racist episodes aside, looks back with great fondness on his formative years in Italy, which gave him the chance to forge a career in football. He returned to France after a brief spell with Monza in Serie B, converting to playing left back at Nice and Monaco, before joining United for £5.5 million in January 2006. Now he is returning to Italy as arguably the best left-back in world football. This will be Evra's third Champions League final. In 2004 he was part of the Monaco team that lost to Jose Mourinho's Porto in Gelsenkirchen and, of course, he was part of the United side that beat Chelsea in Moscow last year. His standing in the United squad is in inverse proportion to his diminutive stature, a senior figure who is eager that the younger members of the squad share his evident gratitude for being given the chance to play for the club. "I don't know, but the older players need to show the younger ones how much of a privilege it is to play for United. Two years ago I started to read a book of the story of Man United and I saw a DVD of the crash at Munich and it made me realise I need to have respect for that shirt because it is a big story and Manchester United is a big family. "I don't just want to say this to look nice in the papers, because it is true – we are a big family here and we have a big story and this is why Manchester United is a club apart. It is always hard to put on that shirt because every day when you do you are putting that story on your back."