The Daily Mail reports the relationship between Roy Keane and Sir Alex Ferguson has broken down, and Keane's latest charges against the Manchester United manager does nothing to mend the rift.
Keane blasted Ferguson in an interview published in the Sunday's Times. In it, he claims Ferguson puts his own interests ahead of those of the club he's led for a quarter-century. He cited a (2003-04) legal dispute between Ferguson and one of United's owners over a race horse as evidence.
"People say Ferguson always does what is right for Man United," Keane said. "I don't think he does. I think he does what is right for him.
"The Irish thing (when Ferguson took on major United shareholder John Magnier over stud rights to the champion racehorse Rock of Gibraltar), I was speaking to the manager about this. That didn't help the club, the manager going to law against its leading shareholder. How could it be of benefit to Man United?"
"It wasn't and we know what happened. What was all that about? It’s amazing what happens. I look back at my relationship with him and I wonder if it wasn't about me being good for him and good for the club."
Keane was a club legend during his time at Old Trafford. He patrolled the center midfield for Ferguson and United from 1993-2005. During that time the Red Devils won seven English Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one UEFA Champions League crown. He was the club catpain from 1997 until his acrimonious departure eight years later.
As an aging (34-year-old) midfielder who was struggling at the time, he criticized his teammates in an infamous (and un-aired) interview with in-house station MUTV. Ferguson showed him the exit door shortly thereafter.
"I would love to think that I was more than an employee at Manchester United but maybe, ultimately, I wasn't," Keane told the Times.
He briefly played for Glasgow Celtic, before retiring and entering the world of management. He led Sunderland and Ipswich Town for two-year spells, but is currently working as a pundit on ITV.
Ferguson took exception to Keane's assessment of United's players after they suffered a humiliating elimination from this season's Champions League. Ferguson responded with a quip about his former player's poor managerial record. He then took a veiled shot at him (in the manager's column section of the game-day program) when he defended his team against attacks from, "people we thought were on our side".
No on knows where this feud is headed next, but it is shaping up to be one of the grudge matches of the season.
Photo via Flickr/The EFP
