Rafael Benitez, the former Chelsea boss, has spilled the beans on how Sir Alex Ferguson snubbed him after a nail-biting FA Cup quarter-final back in 2013. Mate, the beef between these two goes way back, all the way to Benitez's wild ride at Liverpool.
Fergie's "Lucky Manager" Jibe
Before the big face-off between Man United and Chelsea in the FA Cup, Ferguson had the nerve to call Benitez a "lucky manager" after he took the reins at Stamford Bridge in 2012. Cheeky bugger, isn't he?
The Snub Heard 'Round the World
The bad blood boiled over when Fergie refused to shake hands with Benitez after Chelsea's epic comeback from 2-0 down, thanks to goals from super-sub Eden Hazard and Ramires. What a pair of muppets!
Benitez didn't hold back, saying, "I was waiting for him at the beginning, so you should ask him. I have an education. I was ready. I know a lot of people were watching, and I knew what to do."
He added, "It's up to him. I was in the way waiting. If you are brave enough, ask him." Ouch, talk about throwing down the gauntlet!
A History of Love and War
Believe it or not, these two weren't always at each other's throats. Back in 1999, after leaving Extremadura, Benitez and his sidekick, Pako Ayesteran, spent a week at Manchester United's Carrington training ground, learning from the master himself, Fergie, and his right-hand man, Steve McClaren.
The lovefest continued when Benitez took the helm at Liverpool. Fergie even sat next to him on a flight to Geneva, chatting about footy, business, and their shared love of fine wine. How cosy!
When Liverpool lifted the Champions League trophy, Fergie sent Benitez a heartfelt congrats letter, complete with a tactical breakdown of the match. Benitez even gushed, "He can teach me more than I can teach him." Aww, how sweet!
The Fallout
But the bromance went south in January 2009, when Benitez accused Fergie of getting special treatment from the football bigwigs. "Everyone can see that I'm talking about facts," Benitez told journalists. "I'm just saying things that everybody can see." Way to throw your toys out of the pram, Rafa!
Fergie hit back in his 2013 autobiography, saying Benitez was daft for making their rivalry personal. "The mistake he [Benitez] made was to turn our rivalry personal," said the 13-time Premier League champ. "Once you made it personal, you had no chance, because I could wait. I had success on my side. Benitez was striving for trophies while also taking me on. That was unwise."
Well, there you have it, folks. The beautiful game's biggest soap opera, starring two of the most pig-headed managers in the business. What a load of bollocks!
