Sir Alex Ferguson has named Manchester United's true nemesis from his time in charge and it's not Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City.
Manchester United v Juventus
Sir Alex Ferguson has dubbed Juventus his Manchester United nemesis (Image: Getty)
Sir Alex Ferguson says that Juventus were Manchester United's nemesis during his tenure. The legendary boss overlooks Premier League rivals Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. United dominated English football during Ferguson's nearly 27 years in the Old Trafford hotseat. They won the Premier League on 13 occasions and forged bitter rivalries with most of the top-flight's finest. His duels with Gunners hero Arsene Wenger were iconic, and Jose Mourinho's arrival at Stamford Bridge also saw sparks fly whenever the pair faced off. Games against Liverpool and eventual "noisy neighbours" City were often just as heated. But in his new book, Games of My Life, Ferguson selects 21 matches that defined his life.
One game selected is the 1999 Champions League semi-final second leg comeback against Juventus, who he says were United's true scourge during his time at the wheel.
Ferguson writes: "If I had to pick our nemesis during my time at United, it wouldn't be Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea - it would be Juventus. Between 1976 and 1998, United played Juventus in European competitions eight times - four of them being on my watch. We only won twice.
"In April 1999, when we were drawn against them in the semi-finals of the European Cup, we were pitted against what was then the best team in Europe. Juventus, in the 1990s, were the benchmark against which I measured United. Under the guidance of Marcello Lippi, Juventus were formidable. Marcello's team had won the Serie A title during his first season in 1994–95 and claimed the European Cup in 1995–96.
"They then proceeded to knock off another couple of league titles and had played in the three previous European Cup finals. During his first five-year stretch with the club, Marcello had assembled a squad of the highest calibre, including Gianluca Vialli, Alessandro Del Piero, Roberto Baggio and Antonio Conte.
Alex Ferguson and Peter Schmeichel
Ferguson admits his team struggled against The Old Lady (Image: Getty)
"He had refreshed his roster with the additions of the redoubtable Zinedine Zidane, Dutch international Edgar Davids and Italian striker Filippo Inzaghi. This group of players, which was well-drilled by Marcello and liked pressing and cutting off an opponent's passes, had more creative flair and finesse than any team we ever faced in the Premier League.
"By the time we played the first leg of the semi-final, Marcello had been replaced by Carlo Ancelotti. He knew a thing or two about the quality demanded of any European champion, having lifted two trophies as a player for AC Milan. He also inherited Marcello's terrific squad. We all looked up to Juventus."
Another of the games listed in Ferguson's book is a 1990 FA Cup tie away against Nottingham Forest. They were not an archenemy like Juventus, but Ferguson admits he never got along with their celebrated coach, Brian Clough.
Clough at Forest v Man Utd League Cup Final 1992
The Scot was not a fan of Clough (Image: Getty)
"It was as an opinionated, boastful manager that Clough made his name. In his mind, he was God's gift to football," Ferguson penned. "Whenever we were interested in a Forest player - such as Stuart Pearce and Neil Webb - I would call Ron Fenton, Clough's assistant manager. I didn't want to deal with Clough himself.
"He and I were cut from different cloth and, much as I respected his managerial achievements, I didn't have time for Clough the man. Once, when he brought Forest to play at Old Trafford, he had given his shoes to one of our apprentices, Deiniol Graham, to be cleaned. He wanted them all spick and span before he walked along the touchline.
"A bit later, Clough padded down the hall in his socks and knocked on our dressing room door. I was furious and handed him his shoes, which I had instructed Deiniol and our kit-man not to touch, and told him never to pull that stunt again."
Games of My Life by Alex Ferguson was published on Thursday, October 8, by Macmillan.