Sir Alex Ferguson: ‘If I’d put Park Ji-Sung on Lionel Messi, we’d have Beaten Barcelona’

Sir Alex Ferguson in an interview, told about his regret at not using Park Ji-sung to man-mark Lionel Messi, which he believes cost Manchester United a Champions League final win.

When asked about the most underrated players he’d ever worked with, Fergie quickly named Park.

“That’s where I lost the final against Barcelona at Wembley,” said Sir Alex, claiming a tactical delay cost his side in 2011.

“I should have changed at half-time and put Ji-sung Park on Messi. That was a mistake. I was going to do it at half-time, then I said, ‘Well, we just equalised before half-time, they may see the game differently, we may grow into the game better.’

“We were actually quite good in the last 10 minutes of that half. We came into it and we could have been in front.

“But if I’d played Ji-sung Park against Messi, I think we’d have beat them. I really do.”

Despite Wayne Rooney’s superb first-half equaliser in the Champions League final in 2011, Messi scored nine minutes after half-time and Barcelona went on to win 3-1.