WENGER: EVERYONE WAS SCARED OF FERGIE
Arsene Wenger has lifted the lid on his iconic rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson.
The duo did battle 49 times across 17 years as Arsenal and Manchester United duelled at the top of the English game.
They certainly didn’t always see eye to eye, with their relationship turning ‘toxic’ at times.
And in the ‘Arsene Wenger: Invincible’ documentary, Wenger says: “Alex Ferguson was the dominant figure in English football.
“Everyone was scared of him, from the press to the referees.
“I thought that’s a good opportunity for me to show that it’s not only in England that you know how to play football. I was ready for the fight.
“It was sometimes very aggressive, especially after the games.
“When you’re fighting to win, you are two lions. Your only one desire is to eat the lion who is against you.
“I was not scared of anybody in football.”
Wenger managed to win three league titles during his 22-year tenure at Arsenal, while Ferguson managed an incredible 13 at United.
The Scot also had the better of their 49 clashes, winning 23 of them compared to Wenger’s 16, with ten draws.
During the documentary, Ferguson admits: “It became toxic for a while.
“The big change that made Arsenal was reinventing [Thierry] Henry. And the goals… he was fantastic.
“You’re always looking in the rear-view mirror to see who’s coming up behind you, and when you see someone you accelerate.
“Arsenal were catching us up, and their team was good enough to go above us, there’s no question about that.”