A former Manchester United star has opened up about the time Sir Alex Ferguson was left ‘angered’ and even threatened to rip up a player’s contract after he was photographed with a rival.
Ferguson, 83, is arguably the greatest manager to have graced the Premier League, having won 13 titles in his 26-year reign as manager of Man Utd.
He was, and still is, a revered figure in the footballing world, with his record commanding respect from fans and the media.
And given his success, his man management has often been spoken about, but as countless players found out over the years that he was not afraid to speak his mind when he needed to get his point across.
An example of this came when a former United star was spotted with a Manchester City player.
Carlos Tevez was part of a formidable United side which lifted the Premier League and Champions League in the 2007/08 campaign.
The following year, Tevez, 41, won the title again but left United for their city rivals in a deal reportedly worth £25.5m.
However, this did not stop United’s Patrice Evra from being friends with the Argentine, but it is safe to say Ferguson did not approve when the left-back was photographed alongside the forward.
“Tevez is my brother, so when he joined City, I remember we went to a place called San Carlo and the paparazzi take a picture,” Evra said on Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE YouTube channel.
Patrice Evra and Carlos Tevez in Man Utd training (Credit:Getty)
“So, the next morning, Ferguson like called me into his office and he said, ‘If I see you again outside with Tevez, I’m going to rip your contract.'”
And this was not the first time a player caught the brunt of Ferguson’s temper.
Rio Ferdinand recalled an incident which occurred after United lost 3-1 against City at Maine Road in 2003.
“We got beat 3-1 at Maine Road with Shaun Goater scoring two goals,” Ferdinand recalled on an episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE.
“That was the first derby I played, and the moment I realised how big it was was in the changing room after.
“We walked in, and the manager shut the door. It was quiet, and then all of a sudden he just erupted.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was the God then, walked in with a City shirt in his hand and I remember Sir Alex Ferguson just absolutely unloaded on him.
“He destroyed him, saying: ‘If I ever see any of you walking with a City shirt ever again, you’ll never play for this club.’”
