Just over 30 years ago, Alex Ferguson became Head Coach of Aberdeen FC in Scotland and, soon after his appointment, appeared on TV declaring his intention to win a European Trophy with Aberdeen FC and any subsequent club he might join.

He set a target and has hit the bull’s eye four times (so far) – once with Aberdeen FC and three times with Manchester United FC. The UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup was won in 1983 when the dons beat Real Madrid CF in the final. Eight years later, Alex’s red devils’ overcame FC Barcelona in the same competition. He went on to win the UEFA Super Cup on both occasions, just for good measure. Then the ultimate prize: the UEFA Champions League was won in 1999 (v FC Bayern München) and again in 2008 (v Chelsea FC).

The European/South American cup – the Intercontinental Cup to many fans – and the FIFA World Club Championship was added to the collection in 1999 and 2008. Alex Ferguson’s record in domestic football is remarkable (10 premier league titles, 3 Scottish league titles, and 21 cup triumphs on either side of the border), but it is his success in Europe that provides the icing on the cake.

UEFA Coach of the Year in 1999 and the current honorary leader of UEFA’s coaches circle, he is an icon of European club football, a superstar of the technical area – he is Sir Alex Ferguson.

1. It is over 25 years since you first won a European trophy, howhave the ingredients for success changed in that time?
   
   Well, they have certainly changed in terms of the back-up required, particularly in the area of sports science. Medical information, nutrition and preparation of players for top-level games have reached another level. What has not altered, in our case, is the insistence that players train to a high standard – we have always aimed for 100% quality. I have never changed that approach because, in my opinion, what we do on the training pitch transfers to the matchday. We never allow lazy training sessions. For me, the training is an opportunity for players to express themselves as professionals. Players who don’t commit themselves at training can have a negative impact on the others and things then deteriorate into a shambles – then you are not a realfootball club. Also, at Manchester United FC and Aberdeen FC we have always had a great team spirit. You don’t get perfection, and today with an increase in the number of egotistical players making it more demanding, it can be difficult for many managers. The intrusion of agents and player representatives means that some players don’t have the same personal responsibility as their counterparts of 20 or 30 years ago. For example, back then they all booked their own holidays, today this is not always the case. One big change, of course, is the increase in the number of major stars required to compete at the top level. We now have 18 nationalities in our club and this is a development that I could not have predicted when I started out in management. We have reached a situation where I have two full-time scouts in Brazil, one in Argentina, others in Germany, France, etc. I have people all over the place, and this is an indication of how powerful the Premier League has become and how we have developed as a football club. For us it is a global business. This has been good for me, because I’m dealing with different cultures and I find that very interesting from a management point of view. It is simply not possible to be parochial any more.
   
   
2. From a tactical point of view, what are the main developments you have seen in the UEFA Champions League during the last ten years?
   
   The speed of the transitional play is definitely quicker now. In addition, the coaching qualities have improved, and through sports science and technology you are able to examine your opponents more thoroughly. We can get the running times and stats on every player we play against. This is phenomenal information for any coach – we explore every detail and can analyse everything we need to know. This has had an impact on tactical operations. Trying to stop players like Messi is quite a challenge, because there are always moments in the game when he drives at you with the ball and you say: “Oh no, here we go again.” All the great players, like Lionel Messi, have an element of courage that ele-vates them above everyone else – this is apart from their outstanding ability. But as we were saying earlier, one of the biggest changes in the game in recent years is the increase in the speed of transition. A lot of counterattacking is different today, unlike the old classic Italian style of the 1960s when the ball was played long to an individual attacker that might get a 1v1 in a big space. Now players flood forward from midfield and from fullback positions, making it four or five supporting the fast break. This group counter-attacking has definitely been a big change in the game.
   
   
3. What does it take to be a top player in European football today?
   
   There is a practice element which becomes very important. As a coach, we dedicate parts of the training to improving touch, movement, passing and speed of play, but the special quality, the detail, depends on the player being willing to sacrifice himself after training – this is a hallmark of the great players. If the big talents only rely on their natural ability, they won’t have that extra edge. They must do something extra on their own.
   
   
4. How would you compare the UEFA Champions League with the European Championship or World Cup?
   
   Some of the World Cup final tournaments, and even one or two of the EUROs, have been a little disappointing. The last great World Cup was in 1986 in Mexico when Argentina beat Germany 3-2 in the final. There has not been anything to compare since then. Yes, some will say that today it is much harder to play against most national teams – and that general standards have improved. But then when you look at the UEFA Champions League and see the quality – many of the games have been absolutely fantastic. We are talking about real top games. Our match with Chelsea FC was one of the most competitive UEFA Champions League finals in recent years. Of course, we happily forget one or two of the finals 20 years ago when the games were negative and finished with a penalty shootout after a cautious 0-0. But think of the Liverpool FC v AC Milan 3-3 game – what kind of drama was that? Or Manchester United FC v FC Bayern München with two goals in injury time to win the trophy. There are many good games at the World Cup, but in general the quality in the big UEFA Champions League games is, in my view, higher. But then I have only been to two World Cup final matches. Firstly, in 1998 when France demolished Brazil when all the talk was about the problems surrounding Ronaldo and the impact they had on Zagallo’s team. However, I must say that I found the last final, France v Italy, engrossing from a tactical point of view. It was a match of high intensity, and the decision by Marcello Lippi in the second half to go to three midfield players was decisive because it stabilised Italy at a time when France was beginning to overrun them. In answer to the initial question, I think that, overall, the UEFA Champions League is hard to beat when it comes to consistency, quality and drama. The World Cup, of course, is every four years, and big changes always take place with the departure of many players and coaches and continuity then suffers.
   
   
5. What are the main difficulties that a club faces by being involved in European competition?
   
   The main difficulty is the preparation. Because we are involved in such an intense domestic league, with constant demands and fixture congestion, we have limited amounts of time to prepare for the UEFA Champions League matches. However, there are no real handicaps. For example, I think the refereeing standards have improved – there is a better respect between the referees and the players. The organisation is very good and there is rarely an issue in this aspect. The only thing that sometimes concerns me is in the stadium when we train the night before the match, because there are too many people around and you can’t do much serious work. The TV cameras go after 15 minutes but you still can’t guarantee privacy. When you play on Saturday, rest Sunday and are scheduled to play away on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, you only have the Monday session at the opponent’s ground and you don’t know who is watching you. It is hard to overcome that problem.
   
   
6. Do you change your match preparations for European nights?
   
   We don’t do any serious tactical work, as I said, due to time and venue constraints. It is more about recovery and talking them into the game. We always stick to UK time, no matter where we go. The day of the game is a bit elongated and the time difference doesn’t help. So we get the players up at around 10am and do a mobility session, often using fun and music. Then there is the video analysis before lunch. Only then do I pick the team for that night’s match.
   
   
7. Are you happy with the away-goals rule?
   
   I don’t think we worry about this as much as we did 20 years ago. Because of the speed and effectiveness of counterattacking, it is not such a disadvantage to play away from home as it once was. I don’t worry too much about this, but the away goal is, of course,nice to have. Make no mistake, it is an advantage to have it when you are away from home, but it is not a weight round my neck because the rule is there. I don’t think it needs to be changed, because that little incentive does stop teams parking around their own penalty box throughout an away match.
   
   
8. In recent years in the UEFA Champions League, there has been a drop in number of goals from free kicks – is that chance or are there reasons?
   
   The only reason I can think of is lack of practice. People talk about the ball moving a lot but it has done that for the past two decades, so I don’t think the ball is a major factor. The distance between the wall and the ball is not to blame because the referees are generally doing their job. No, for me, it has more to do with practice and chance.
   
   
9. What are the biggest differences between the domestic game and the UEFA Champions League?
   
   The difference in the preparation and the atmosphere in the stadiums are the two main factors. Just think of the crowds at Old Trafford, the Nou Camp, San Siro or the Bernabeu on a UEFA Champions League night and you will know what I am talking about. We had 84,000 in Milan on our last visit and the atmosphere was electric – you get a tingle on such nights. It is also to do with the floodlights, the occasion, and the special competition between football cultures. The Barclays Premier League is fantastic and very competitive, but some of the games can be less than thrilling. In the UEFA Champions League most matches are exciting, dramatic and top-level. It is a Champions League, not just a cup competition, and the current format is the best arrangement for this contest among elite club sides.
   
   
10. Which match would you describe as your “best ever“ in Europe?
    
    Without a doubt, the 7-1 victory over AS Roma at Old Trafford in the quarter-final of the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League was the best – it was a record score for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. We went into that game against a top Italian side that had beaten us 2-1 in the first leg. Our first half performance in front of our own supporters was out of this world, and Luciano Spalletti’s team were shellshocked because our quick, one-touch play was exceptionally good. Some of our goals were brilliant, in particular the fluid, one-touch play leading to the strike by Alan Smith. That game certainly stands out. As does the 3-3 draw away to FC Barcelona which could have ended up 20-20 the way both teams attacked. Some games reflect the history of the clubs, and that was a good example. You don’t forget those wonderful, special nights.
    
    
11. What are the best and the worst aspects of coaching in European competitions?
    
    The best, without question, is being on the big stage with all the great coaches in Europe, such as Marcello Lippi, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Carlo Ancelotti – strangely I never came up against Fabio Capello. I remember being in Turin and Signor Lippi was on the bench – wearing a black leather coat and smoking a small cigar, smooth and calm, while I was a worker in a tracksuit being drowned in the pouring rain – not much difference! To match yourself against the top coaches and to compete in all the great European stadiums is really marvellous. That is the magic of European football – the UEFA Champions League has provided me with the opportunity to realise my boyhood dreams. Surprisingly AFC Ajax is the only big gun that I have never faced in Europe. The worst part is the exhausting media work after the game – as many as six TV interviews plus a big press conference. We are still working long after the players have washed and dressed.
    
    
12. Since the start of the UEFA Champions League, which two or three opposition players have impressed you most?
    
    When I think of the current generation, Lionel Messi is top-level and, although he has never really taken my breath away, Kaká has impressed. Zinédine Zidane was brilliant but, without a doubt, Paolo Maldini has been my favourite opposition player during my time as a Champions League coach – he has a wonderful presence, competitive spirit, athleticism, and although not the world’s greatest technically, he has influenced all the AC Milan teams during his wonderfully successful era – a truly marvellous player.

Courtesy of: The Technician (UEFA)
Interview by: Andy Roxburgh