'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has spoken up about a furious row with legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson regarding the participation of Wayne Rooney in the 2006 Euro Cup.
Eriksson talked about the incident during a recent interview with the Times.
In case you didn't know...
Eriksson made his managerial debut in 1977 and has been an active figure in football for over 20 years. During these years, the Swedish national has managed 17 teams including Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina, the England national team, the Ivory Coast national team and the Mexico national team.
The former Manchester City and Leicester City manager was in charge of The Three Lions between 2001 and 2006, taking the team to two World Cups and a Euro Cup.
The heart of the matter
The two great managers were involved in a major spat regarding the decision to include Rooney for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The then Manchester United striker was recovering from a metatarsal injury but was included in the 23-man squad despite not proving his fitness.
"With Alex, the amazing thing was it was seven o'clock in the morning or earlier. Always. When he was angry. And never ‘Hello Sven, how are you? It was “whuurssshhhh” [yelling]. I thought he should kill me," Eriksson said.
"He said, ‘I will kill you. You are finished’. But I represented England and you have to stand up. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong and when you say ‘Don’t pick Rooney because I’m going to kill you’ . . . I said, ‘F*** off, what’s going on with you?
"And he was screaming. Whenever he got like that . . . it has no meaning. That’s why I was, ‘Alex, I will pick Rooney. Now, have a nice holiday. Ciao, bye'."
But Ferguson ended up being proven right. Rooney went on to have a miserable World Cup as England lost to Portugal on penalties.
What's next?
Eriksson was last seen in the dugout with the Philippines national team during during the 2019 Asia Cup. The fact that he has brought up this old incident now is sure to set tongues wagging in the football world.
