MANCHESTER, England (AP)—Two years after Manchester United was outclassed by Barcelona in the Champions League final, Alex Ferguson believes the Spanish champions are even better going into their rematch on Saturday.
Since Barcelona won its third European title in 2009, Pep Guardiola’s side has won two Spanish titles and is constantly lauded as football’s best-ever team.
Samuel Eto’o scored after just 10 minutes and Lionel Messi rounded off the win an hour later to give Barcelona just its third European title, matching United’s haul.
“When we lost the first goal it was that sudden lapse of concentration in terms of regrouping after we’d lost the ball—that’s what cost us really,” Ferguson recalled at United’s training ground. “Then after, they went through with Messi running midfield, which made it very difficult for us. So the concentration is going to be very important (on Saturday) in dealing with all the issues in terms of attacking and defending. That will be the key for us.”
Messi remains Barcelona’s most potent threat, netting 11 goals in the Champions League this season with 52 overall for the newly crowned domestic champions.
“We’ve played against Barcelona three times with Messi in the team and there’s always a solution to every good player and we hope we can find a solution on Saturday,” Ferguson said.
United is returning on Saturday to Wembley Stadium—the scene of its first European Cup win in 1968 when Matt Busby’s team beat Benfica 4-1 a decade after eight players died in the Munich air disaster.
“It was a fantastic feat because, when you think about it and go back, he (Busby) lost most of his team in 1958 and rebuilt a team to win it 10 years later—it was incredible,” Ferguson said. “Plus the fact that most of the players were homegrown from the 11 out there that night, so it was a fantastic achievement and the whole country was behind them.”
Ferguson isn’t so optimistic that will be the same this time.
“It’s a different story with United these days, we live in a country of tribalism,” the Scotsman said. “You’ve got Liverpool fans, Leeds United fans, fans from the north, south, east, there’s a lot of tribalism in England so therefore you’re never going to get unilateral support.”
A victory for United would see Ferguson equal former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley’s record of three European Cup wins, having already won in the Champions League in 1999 and 2008.
And it would be the 28th major trophy of Ferguson’s 25-year Old Trafford reign. He won a 12th Premier League title this month, enabling United to surpass Liverpool’s record of 18.
“The only thing you can do at this club is win—it’s the only thing that matters,” the 69-year-old manager said. “You have a responsibility and expectation we have to live up to and that will carry on into next season, too.
“Maybe next season is our biggest challenge, who knows, but what I’ve always said is that Manchester United should always accept a challenge. We are good at that and next season we will accept anything that comes our way.”
Since Barcelona won its third European title in 2009, Pep Guardiola’s side has won two Spanish titles and is constantly lauded as football’s best-ever team.
“I think they’ve improved (since 2009),” Ferguson said on Tuesday. “They have more maturity about their team now because I think winning that European Cup was a big step forward for them as a team.”
But that 2-0 loss was a humbling moment for Ferguson’s side, which was completely overrun by Barcelona’s dominant midfield despite going into the final on the back of a third straight English Premier League triumph.Samuel Eto’o scored after just 10 minutes and Lionel Messi rounded off the win an hour later to give Barcelona just its third European title, matching United’s haul.
“When we lost the first goal it was that sudden lapse of concentration in terms of regrouping after we’d lost the ball—that’s what cost us really,” Ferguson recalled at United’s training ground. “Then after, they went through with Messi running midfield, which made it very difficult for us. So the concentration is going to be very important (on Saturday) in dealing with all the issues in terms of attacking and defending. That will be the key for us.”
Messi remains Barcelona’s most potent threat, netting 11 goals in the Champions League this season with 52 overall for the newly crowned domestic champions.
“We’ve played against Barcelona three times with Messi in the team and there’s always a solution to every good player and we hope we can find a solution on Saturday,” Ferguson said.
United is returning on Saturday to Wembley Stadium—the scene of its first European Cup win in 1968 when Matt Busby’s team beat Benfica 4-1 a decade after eight players died in the Munich air disaster.
“It was a fantastic feat because, when you think about it and go back, he (Busby) lost most of his team in 1958 and rebuilt a team to win it 10 years later—it was incredible,” Ferguson said. “Plus the fact that most of the players were homegrown from the 11 out there that night, so it was a fantastic achievement and the whole country was behind them.”
Ferguson isn’t so optimistic that will be the same this time.
“It’s a different story with United these days, we live in a country of tribalism,” the Scotsman said. “You’ve got Liverpool fans, Leeds United fans, fans from the north, south, east, there’s a lot of tribalism in England so therefore you’re never going to get unilateral support.”
A victory for United would see Ferguson equal former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley’s record of three European Cup wins, having already won in the Champions League in 1999 and 2008.
And it would be the 28th major trophy of Ferguson’s 25-year Old Trafford reign. He won a 12th Premier League title this month, enabling United to surpass Liverpool’s record of 18.
“The only thing you can do at this club is win—it’s the only thing that matters,” the 69-year-old manager said. “You have a responsibility and expectation we have to live up to and that will carry on into next season, too.
“Maybe next season is our biggest challenge, who knows, but what I’ve always said is that Manchester United should always accept a challenge. We are good at that and next season we will accept anything that comes our way.”
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