In the eyes of legendary coach Alex Ferguson, Man City was the “noisy neighbor” he despised. The Scottish strategist even went as far as to display actions that portrayed the sky-blue half of Manchester as “unfaithful adversaries.”
Ahead of the Manchester derby in the FA Cup final tomorrow at Wembley, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville recalls a memorable incident from November 2002 that remains etched in his memory. It was what happened after the Red Devils suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of their local rivals, Man City.
“The loss to Man City left Alex Ferguson fuming. Right after the match, just as he was venting his frustrations by kicking a boot, Ruud van Nistelrooy walked into the dressing room. It seemed like he had just exchanged his shirt with a Man City player. At that moment, seeing Van Nistelrooy wearing the blue jersey agitated Ferguson,” Neville reminisces.
Ferguson immediately turned Van Nistelrooy into the target of his wrath. He sternly reprimanded him, exclaiming, “How could you be so foolish? The shirt belongs to me, to the club, not to you personally, to exchange as you please. From now on, I strictly forbid any shirt-swapping actions.”
Despite Van Nistelrooy being the top scorer for Man United in that season with 44 goals across all competitions, Sir Alex did not hold back: “Remember this. No, all of you remember this. If I ever see someone wearing a Man City shirt like this, they will immediately be out of the door at United!”
While Ferguson may not have liked Liverpool, nor had a soft spot for Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal or the “arrogant” Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, there was no team that he despised more than Man City. The Scottish coach has openly referred to the Sky Blues as the “noisy neighbors.”
In a derby match between the Manchester clubs in April 2018, Alex Ferguson, who had retired by then, was invited to watch the game at the Etihad Stadium. The televised images that day showcased the seat Sir Alex occupied. The Man City logo on the seat was covered with a white cloth. It was a clear demonstration of how much the legendary coach of Manchester United detested Man City.
On another occasion, when asked about the wealth-driven player acquisitions by Man City, Ferguson sarcastically remarked, “With the bottomless pockets of Qatar’s owners, Man City can buy all the top stars in the world. But can they buy the ‘Manchester United spirit’? Can they acquire the willingness to fight tooth and nail for the club’s colors? Can they truly buy that?”
There are numerous reasons why Ferguson loathed Man City to no end. During his nearly three decades in the managerial seat at Old Trafford, he had been turned into a laughing stock by the sky-blue half of Manchester on several occasions.
To this day, Sir Alex has not forgotten the 1-5 defeat his team suffered against the “noisy neighbors” in 1989. After that humiliating Manchester derby, the fans of Man United staged protests demanding Ferguson’s dismissal. Banners were raised, and a collective chant echoed: “We have had enough apologies for three years. Why is everything still ‘shit’ in the fourth year? Leave, Fergie!”
Man City was also the team that handed Sir Alex his heaviest defeat throughout his career at the helm of Man United. It was a devastating 1-6 loss at Old Trafford in 2001. Looking back, the legendary Scottish coach affirmed, “That was the worst game of my life. I was truly disappointed and couldn’t believe what I witnessed.”
The animosity between Sir Alex and Man City grew even deeper when striker Carlos Tevez decided to “defect” from Old Trafford in 2009 and join the sky-blue side of Manchester through a five-year contract. The Argentine star left Man United, claiming that he felt deceived by Alex Ferguson. In front of the media, Tevez referred to Ferguson as a “dictator.”
The story didn’t end there. Tevez later helped Man City clinch the Premier League title in the 2011/12 season. In the final minutes of the match against QPR, it was Sergio Aguero’s destiny-sealing goal that secured the victory for the sky-blue half of Manchester. They finished with the same 89 points as MU but had a superior goal difference. After winning the cup, Tevez posed for a photo with bitter words aimed at Sir Alex: “Rest in peace, old man Fergie!”
And in his final Manchester derby before retiring in 2013, Alex Ferguson tasted bitter defeat against Man City. At Old Trafford that day, all three goals were scored by the visiting team. James Milner and Sergio Aguero were the ones who found the net for the sky-blue side, while Manchester United’s only contribution came from defender Vincent Kompany, who scored an own goal.
In summary, the rivalry between Sir Alex Ferguson and Man City endured over the years, living on like an unbreakable bond. There is no doubt that the sky-blue half of Manchester turned the legendary coach into a subject of mockery on numerous occasions.
Even now, Sir Alex has not forgotten his team’s devastating 1-5 loss to the “noisy neighbors” in 1989. Due to the defeat in that Manchester derby, the fans of Man United rallied for Ferguson’s dismissal. Banners were unfurled, and united chants echoed: “We’ve had to listen to apologies for three years. Why is everything still ‘shit’ in the fourth year? Leave, Fergie!”
Man City also handed Sir Alex the most crushing defeat of his career at the helm of Man United—a resounding 1-6 loss at Old Trafford in 2001. Reflecting on that match, the Scottish legend confessed, “It was the worst game of my life. I was utterly disappointed and couldn’t believe what I witnessed.”
The feud between Sir Alex and Man City was further deepened when striker Carlos Tevez decided to “switch sides” from Old Trafford in 2009 and sign with the sky-blue side of Manchester on a five-year deal. The Argentine star left Man United, claiming he had been deceived by Alex Ferguson. Speaking to the media, Tevez labeled Ferguson a “tyrant.”
But the story didn’t end there. Tevez later helped Man City secure the Premier League title in the 2011/12 season. In the final moments of the match against QPR, Sergio Aguero’s destiny-sealing goal crowned the sky-blue half of Manchester as champions. They finished with the same 89 points as MU but had a superior goal difference. After winning the cup, Tevez posed for a photo with cutting words aimed at Sir Alex: “Rest in peace, old man Fergie!”
And in his final Manchester derby before retiring in 2013, Alex Ferguson experienced a bitter defeat against Man City. At Old Trafford that day, all three goals were scored by the visiting team. James Milner and Sergio Aguero found the net for the sky-blue side, while Manchester United’s only contribution came from defender Vincent Kompany, who scored an own goal.
In conclusion, the rivalry between Sir Alex Ferguson and Man City persisted throughout the years, a feud that lived on with unwavering intensity.
