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Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand recently shed some light on the infamous 'Pizzagate' controversy that occurred during the height of the rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal.
Also known as the 'Battle of the Buffet', the incident saw a slice of pizza being hurled (allegedly by Cesc Fabregas) at Sir Alex Ferguson in the heated aftermath of one of their matches in 2004. Ferdinand claimed that Fabregas didn't mean to hit Sir Alex Ferguson, but revealed that the legendary manager reacted furiously to it.
Manchester United and Arsenal shared a dominant and intense rivalry in late 1990s and early 2000s, with several heated encounters taking place between the two sides. The two clubs' managers back then, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, were also a major part of the rivalry. During its peak, a number of noteworthy incidents took place. However, the infamous 'Pizzagate' scandal was perhaps one of the most controversial ones.
Manchester United hosted Arsenal at Old Trafford in October 2004, and eventually won 2-0 to end Arsenal's staggering 49-game unbeaten streak. However, following the final whistle, an all-out brawl broke out between the two sides and involved a slice of pizza hitting Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in the face.
A young Cesc Fabregas is believed to have thrown the slice in what has since become known as a rather controversial incident.
Speaking on his Vibe with FIVE podcast, Rio Ferdinand (who was present at the time) recently spoke about the incident. He revealed that although it may have been unintentional on Fabregas's behalf, it enraged Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferdinand said:
"I don’t think he (Fabregas) meant to throw it at the gaffer, I think he just dashed it out the door and the gaffer was walking past. It did hit him, the lasting memory for me was a security guard was having to hold him back from trying to get into the changing room. That’s what I remember. You know what he’s like, if his head went that was it."
Rio Ferdinand claims Manchester City vs Liverpool 'not a rivalry' like Manchester United vs Arsenal
Rio Ferdinand believes that the ongoing 'rivalry' between Manchester City and Liverpool is hardly akin to that shared by his Manchester United side and Arsenal at the turn of the century.
Following this past weekend's clash between the Citizens and the Reds, their respective managers Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp were seen embracing.
In light of the incident, Ferdinand claimed that the camaraderie between the two managers defies what a rivalry should be like, and declared that the current top two sides in the Premier League don't quite share a rivalry. He said:
"It's not a rivalry. The rivalry is not just about the game. It's everything that goes alongside it. The pantomime that goes into it, the mind games and the managers going back-and-forth - when Gary Neville got punched up - things like that."
