Dimitar Berbatov reflects on Champions League pain at Manchester United and why Ronaldo was 'the guy'
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Updated 27/04/2023 at 17:46 GMT+1
Dimitar Berbatov enjoyed a successful four-year spell with Manchester United that saw him win the Premier League twice and claim the Golden Boot after scoring 20 league goals in the 2010/11 season. He has told BT Sport's What I Wore why he joined United, the pain of losing to Barcelona in two Champions League finals, and why Ronaldo's shirt was one of the few he swapped in his career.
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Dimitar Berbatov has spoken about his pain of missing out on winning the Champions League with Manchester United – and the reasons why Sir Alex Ferguson left him out of the squad in the 2011 final against Barcelona.
Berbatov was a second-half substitute in the 2009 final when United were beaten 2-0 by Barca.
as Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Michael Owen were the preferred forward options.
Berbatov’s omission was a shock given he had been crowned the Premier League Golden Boot winner with 20 league goals that season.
Reflecting on the two finals on BT Sport’s What I Wore, Berbatov said: “In the first Champions League final when we lost to Barcelona and I was on the bench and came on late in the game, it was a bad memory as we lost.
“When you go onto the pitch you want to do the best you can for your team, but when you play Barcelona the players know how to move the ball and your head is going to spin. They were great, we tried our best, the second was more painful than the other because I wasn’t in the squad and didn’t play, and that year I was a champion, I was a goal scorer, Golden Boot.
“What happened is when you are a manager you make choices, and in that particular moment, Sir Alex decides not to count on me even though I was so confident I was thinking 'if I can shoot the ball from the halfway line it’s going to go in the back of the net', that’s how good my season was. But it didn’t happen for me in the final.”
United lost the 2011 final 3-1 to Barcelona, with Rooney and Hernandez starting, and Owen not getting on the pitch.
Berbatov had joined United in 2008 from Tottenham and says there were several reasons behind his decision to move to Old Trafford.
“Look at the shirt, the red, the gold, the badge, the history, the manager, the players, the trophies," he said. "Back in the day, there was no comparison, no second guessing, no choices to be made. In my mind, this was the moment when I needed to make my final step of reaching my top [level].
“One of the reasons I wanted to be a part of the team was the players. Who doesn’t want to play with players like this? You want to be part of it and test yourself against the best players. It was challenging, it was fun. You need to hold your own. If someone shouts at you, you shout back, otherwise they will walk all over you. You need to show how strong you are.
“The mentality was different because you are talking about winning every day. You fight between each other, you shout, you yell, but everything is about the win. When you stop the session it stays on the pitch and you’re cool, like family. Every family fights, but it’s about winning.”
Berbatov had a number of memorable moments during his four years at Manchester United, which saw him win the Premier League twice.
He netted a hat-trick against Liverpool, including a brilliant overhead kick, and also hit five goals in a 7-1 win over Blackburn.
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Dimitar Berbatov celebrates scoring for Manchester United
Image credit: Getty Images
He also played for Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Monaco, and Fulham, and says it was during his time with Leverkusen that he secured one of the most cherished mementos of his career: Brazil legend Ronaldo’s shirt.
“This was the guy," he said. "I never swapped a shirt in my life when I used to play football. I did not care about who I played with, obviously I had respect for everybody, but I was more focused on winning. But once in a while, there are players you want their shirt. Ronaldo was one of these guys. He was phenomenal.
“We played at the Bernabeu with Leverkusen. I was very shy back in the day, but I wanted his shirt. We got to 1-1 and I scored and I am too shy to ask for his shirt. I played with a team-mate, Juan, who is Brazilian and I said ‘Juan, please, please go to him and say I want his shirt, please’.
“So Juan goes and five minutes later, I am sitting there and he’s bringing my Ronaldo shirt. The one shirt I wanted I got it. It’s in my house. This is the moment where I wanted one shirt.”
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Manchester United and Tottenham meet on BT Sport on Thursday, April 27.
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