Alex Ferguson, rarely noted for complimenting other teams, heaped lavish praise on Barcelona on Monday, saying he could not see the Catalans failing to defend the Champions League title.
|Last Updated: Jan 09, 2012, 11:13 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Zurich: Alex Ferguson, rarely noted for complimenting other teams, heaped lavish praise on Barcelona on Monday, saying he could not see the Catalans failing to defend the Champions League title.
"Sometimes in football, you have to hold your hand up and say: `They`re better than us`," Manchester United manager Ferguson told a news conference before the FIFA Balon D`Or player of the year award.
"It`s not a crime or weakness, it`s just plain facts. They are just an extraordinary team," said Ferguson, whose side lost the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals to the Catalans.
"I can`t see anyone taking the trophy from them this year. Real Madrid are probably the nearest to them," added Ferguson, whose side failed to reach the last 16 this season.
Barca coach Pep Guardiola, wearing a black sweater and faded jeans while Ferguson wore a suit, said Barcelona had almost forgotten that losing was part of the sport.
"We have to live with the fact that, by winning so much, we lose the perception this is a game with opponents and it`s quite possible that we can win or lose," said Guardiola, whose team trail Real Madrid by five points in La Liga.
"We are competing against opponents who have a spectacular record," he added. "If a team is five points ahead it`s because they are better, they have done things better than us. There are no secrets in football."
Ferguson, Guardiola and Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho are candidates for the coach of the year award while Lionel Messi, Xavi and Cristiano Ronaldo are on the shortlist for the player award.
Ferguson also poured praise on Argentina forward Messi.
"Great players could play in any generation; Lionel Messi could play in the 1950s, Alfredo Di Stefano could have played now as could Diego Maradona, (Johann) Cruyff and Pele," he said. "Messi comes into that category."
Mourinho and Real winger Ronaldo would not be present at the ceremony as their side had a King`s Cup tie against Malaga on Tuesday, FIFA said.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.