Former Manchester United player Patrice Evra has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson’s brutal reaction to Jamie Carragher’s horror challenge on Nani during Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United in 2011. During the feisty first half, Carragher lunged at United’s Portuguese winger and was booked for the X-rated challenge. Nani’s shin was left with a gaping wound, forcing him to be taken off at half-time, as his team-mates raced over to confront Carragher. However, their anger turned to embarrassment when they saw tears running down Nani’s cheeks, which led to a fierce response from Ferguson.
Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on the FIVE podcast, Evra recalled the incident and said that after Nani was tackled, they started fighting with Liverpool players, including Steven Gerrard. Paul Scholes then came and saw Nani crying and said ‘f*** that, let’s go’. After that, Ferguson gave Nani two weeks off because he needed to recover from the incident. Ferguson had said that they were waiting for him because in that team they didn’t care and were ready to kill him. Even Ferguson had said that he hoped Nani’s legs were broken.
Evra added that Ferguson always wanted to kill Nani when he was falling on the floor, saying that he couldn’t be a United player and do that. Ferdinand added that they all ran over because it was such a bad tackle and everyone was pushing. Scholesy came and looked at Nani and saw him crying and said ‘nah’, and walked off, just walked off. He said he ‘can’t defend that’.
The incident was a turning point in the match, as Liverpool went on to win 3-1. Carragher’s challenge on Nani was widely criticised by football fans and pundits alike, with many calling for him to be banned for the rest of the season. However, he was only given a yellow card by the referee.
The incident highlights the intense rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United, two of the most successful clubs in English football history. The two teams have a long-standing history of fierce battles on the pitch, with both sets of fans often engaging in heated exchanges off the pitch as well.
Despite the intense rivalry, both clubs have a great deal of respect for each other. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently praised Manchester United for their impressive form this season, saying that they are “the strongest team in the league” and that they are “a real contender for everything”.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also spoke highly of Liverpool ahead of their recent clash in the FA Cup, saying that they are “the best team in England” and that his team will have to be at their best to beat them.
The intense rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is set to continue for many years to come, with both teams looking to add to their impressive trophy hauls. While incidents like Carragher’s challenge on Nani are rare, they serve as a reminder of just how passionate fans can be about their clubs and how much they want to see them succeed.