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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Colin Millar

Sir Alex Ferguson's Lionel Messi regret explained amid claim he 'took Man Utd's soul'

Sir Alex Ferguson has regretted not man-marking Lionel Messi with Park Ji-Sung during the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals when Manchester United played Barcelona.

That is according to former United central defender Rio Ferdinand, who was reflecting back on both matches in which Messi scored in each showpiece and Barca ran out two-goal victors on each occasion. United were unable to handle the Argentine superstar, who was hitting the top form of his career.

Ferguson had guided United to the European trophy in 1999 and again in 2008, before reaching two more finals in the subsequent three seasons – although they were unable to overcome Pep Guardiola’s Barca in either game.

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