Vidic: I Was Injured Before the Chelsea Final, But Ferguson Told Me I'd Play

Former Manchester United stalwart Nemanja Vidic recently appeared on Sportal.bg's "Guest" segment, sharing intriguing insights from his time at Old Trafford. The Serbian defender highlighted Sir Alex Ferguson's greatest strength as his exceptional man-management skills and his ability to make players feel valued. Vidic recalled a memorable instance where the legendary Scot assured him he would play in the Champions League final, despite Vidic being injured and not feeling fully prepared for such a high-stakes encounter.

As you mentioned, Ferguson was a very charismatic and spontaneous manager. He demanded a lot from us but didn't rely heavily on tactics. He instilled belief in us, making us feel like top-tier footballers. After all those successes, it's incredibly difficult for anyone to succeed him and take over the team. Why not Michael Carrick? It's tough to lead a club of that stature. You need charisma and the ability to inspire the team. Ferguson knew how to make us win. Some people didn't know I had played in Russia and had many matches at Luzhniki Stadium. If someone had asked me if we would win the Champions League in that stadium, I would have told them they were joking. I'll always remember what happened before that game. Two weeks before the Champions League final against Chelsea, I got injured and only started training days before the match. Literally, in the final training session, Ferguson approached me and asked, 'How are you?' I told him I was still in pain and wasn't sure if I could play, and he simply stated, 'No, no, you're playing tomorrow.' I ended up being the Man of the Match and handled Didier Drogba effectively. I was nervous before the game. Usually, I'm not nervous before a match, but in this case, I was. Yes, that was my most significant match. Not many footballers can boast about winning the Champions League. I participated in three finals," Vidic stated.