Sir Alex Ferguson was last night accused of talking
'absolute fiction' by former Manchester United
star Gabriel Heinze in a row over Cristiano
Ronaldo.
United boss Ferguson suggested this week that Real Madrid signed
Heinze last year simply to use his friendship with Ronaldo as a way
of luring the winger to the Spanish club. But last night Heinze
rubbished his former boss's theory — and insisted the newly-
crowned world player of the year would become an even better player
if he swapped Old Trafford for the Bernabeu.
Heinze said: ‘This theory of Ferguson about me going to Real in
order to persuade Cristiano to come the following summer is a work
of absolute fiction. I am a very good friend of Cristiano Ronaldo.
This is true, but he always decides his own future. Cristiano is a
clever person and he decides himself what is best for his own
life.
'If he asks me a question about Real then, of course, I will
answer, but I'm not a bad influence on him. Ferguson has spoken
about me in the last months and I don’t understand this. I thought
he had forgotten me. 'He’s the boss at United and any person who
protests about anything is marginalised. This was my problem at
times when I was there. Ferguson cannot stop my quotes because I’m
not now at United.
'I'm actually convinced Cristiano would offer Madrid even bigger
performances than he has at United. That is my opinion and it is
normal that I have wanted him to come and play with us here in La
Liga.'
The United manager and Argentina star Heinze parted on bad terms
in August last year when the defender joined Real after Fergie had
refused to allow the 30-year-old to move to North West rivals
Liverpool.
Yet Ferguson’s suggestion in an interview in GQ magazine that Real signed Heinze —
he has played 22 times for the Spaniards — for reasons other than
his football ability, have come as a shock. Asked about the Ronaldo
saga which dominated United’s summer, Ferguson said: 'It was
different for me because I knew it was coming. So I wasn’t
surprised.
'When we sold Heinze to Real Madrid, we knew what was going to
happen, because Ronaldo was very close to him. 'I knew what they
were doing. I don’t believe they were interested in Heinze — good
player though he is. The end-game was to get Ronaldo.'
The comments of Ferguson, whose side face West Ham tonight, will
only add to the tension between United and Real in the wake of the
scrap for Ronaldo's services.
