'I told Fergie before the 1999 Champions League final, "They'll suffer for the rest of their lives if they lose". He said, "F**k, I can't tell them that but he did"': How Sir Alex Ferguson motivated his Manchester United side in an unusual way

"Before that match, he asked me if I had any advice. I told him about losing the European Cup final with Barcelona in 1986. I said it was the worst thing you can imagine; seeing the trophy as a player and not being able to touch it... I told him, 'They'll be suffering for the rest of their lives if they lose this game.' He said, 'F**king hell, I'm not telling them that - way too much pressure!'"

"There was a story in the press about him giving this epic Churchill-style speech, but it wasn't like that. Eventually he explained to the media that we'd had a conversation. But the victory was all his."

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