Sir Alex Ferguson, 83, is one of those people who can keep fans and players alike captivated when he is delving into details about the beautiful game – but that’s not to say that he’s rubbed some people up the wrong way with his remarks over the years.
Seen as Manchester United royalty by virtue of managing in excess of 1,000 games between 1986 and 2013, there are many players who want to get one over the former manager after years of dominance in England’s top flight.
None more than Francis Coquelin: the Frenchman played for Arsenal between 2011 and 2018 and, therefore, was on the receiving end of losses from Ferguson’s Red Devils on three separate occasions. He never beat the Scot’s side.
But the central midfielder’s dislike for Ferguson runs much deeper than having a few losses on his Arsenal record. The manager-turned-horse owner’s words in his autobiography touched a nerve, which turned into a 10-year grudge.
Fergie wrote some stern words in his autobiography
But why did Coquelin, who remains uncapped by France’s senior international team, seek revenge after holding a 10-year grudge over what Ferguson had once written about him? As mentioned, Ferguson, viewed as one of the best football managers of all time, was critical of the Frenchman in his autobiography.
It all stemmed from that Manchester United victory over Arsenal – the one that ended 8-2 after goals from Danny Welbeck, a brace from Ashley Young and Wayne Rooney’s treble. On that day, Coquelin played 62 minutes before being replaced. And, in his autobiography, Ferguson had some stern words.
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Calling him ‘out of his depth’ in his less than complimentary assessment of the now-34-year-old, he wrote that he was "completely out of his depth" against the once-dominant Red Devils side and that he "had hardly heard of him, and he barely played again."
A dark day for the Gunners given they were embarrassed – from start to finish – by one of their long-standing rivals in the Premier League, who had heavily rotated. But none came off worse than Coquelin, who played 160 times for Arsenal before departing.
How Coquelin Seeked, And Secured, Revenge
‘I was looking for him, he must have seen me’
You know what they say: revenge is a dish best served cold – and it took the engine room patroller, who was linked with a move to Leeds United in October 2024, a decade-long period before he could wreak vengeance in the 2017 Europa League final.
Coquelin had moved on from north London by that point, and he was playing for Villarreal. And the European final was between his Spanish employers and Ferguson’s former side, Manchester United – it was the perfect time to remember.
To, perhaps, jog your memory: the Polsat Plus Arena Gdansk-based showpiece ended 1-1 after 120 minutes of gruelling action. Gerard Moreno opened the scoring on the stroke of the half-hour mark and Edinson Cavani drew level 10 minutes after the break.
Villarreal ran out 12–11 victors after an extensive penalty shootout. For Manchester United, one of the best goalkeepers in Premier League history in David ge Gea missed – and well, Coquelin remembered Ferguson’s previous remarks.
Talking to French publication RMC Sport, per The Mirror, he recalled Ferguson’s reaction to his Arsenal debut and said: "It was a bit of revenge, because when I made my Arsenal debut, we lost 8-2 at Old Trafford and Sir Alex Ferguson criticised me a bit in his biography.”
While the Yellow Submarine were basking in their penalty shootout victory, Coquelin – who is now plying his trade for FC Nantes in France – stated that he was looking out for Ferguson in the stands as he sought out a sweet getback.
"So it was a nice little turnaround to win the Europa League against them. Plus, I think he was in the stands as well, so lifting the trophy in front of him was nice. I was looking for him, he must have seen me."
A Closer Look at Coquelin’s Career
He's now plying his trade in France for FC Nantes
Coquelin’s Arsenal career, by any stretch of the imagination, was not straightforward. As alluded to, he played 160 times over his seven-year stint with the senior team – but that was punctured by a plethora of loan spells, which were used to get minutes under the Laval-born midfielder’s belt.
He first spent time in Germany for SC Freiburg between July 2013 and June 2014 – but upon returning, game time was still hard to come by at the Emirates Stadium. Remaining in England, Coquelin moved to fellow capital club Charlton Athletic.
Francis Coquelin - Senior Career Statistics
Club
Arsenal
Villarreal SC
Valencia SC
FC Lorient
SC Freiburg
Charlton Athletic
FC Nantes
For The Addicks, he played just five times and there were worries over his future at Arsenal. The seven-cap France Under-21 international returned from his intra-England spell in December 2014 and left four years later to join Valencia in January 2018.
He won the 2018/19 Spanish Cup with the La Liga outfit before joining Villarreal at the turn of the decade. That’s where he reached the pinnacle of his career by securing European glory. Between the summer of 2024 and January 2025, Coquelin found himself without a club before Nantes pounced on his free agency.
All statistics per Transfermarkt - correct as of 14/05/2025