Peter Drury famously called Real Madrid a ‘miracle club’ when Los Blancos came back from behind to beat Manchester City in the semi-finals of the 2022 UEFA Champions League. But it hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows for them in Europe. Though it’s been a while since they last faced such adversity, the man to make that happen? Sir Alex Ferguson. And no, not with Manchester United.
Ferguson, who recently ended his ambassadorial role at Manchester United, sat down with TNT for an interview where he was asked about his time managing Aberdeen in Scotland.
“Do you know we were the last football club to beat Real Madrid in a [European] final? And we actually battered them. It went to extra-time, I don’t know how… but we battered them,” he said.
Aberdeen won 2-1, in the now-defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup, which was monumental not just because they were the underdogs, but because it started what many termed as Ferguson’s ‘European Revolution’.
🎙️ | Sir Alex Ferguson on managing Aberdeen:
“Do you know we were the last football club to beat Real Madrid in a [European] final?
“And we actually battered them. It went to extra-time, I don’t know how… but we battered them.”
[TNT Sports] pic.twitter.com/2rYcjtSjtM
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) October 19, 2024
Before all the success Fergie achieved with Manchester United, it was the youngsters at Aberdeen, who gave the world a preview of what the Scottish boss could do with a bunch of players, ready to die for him out on the pitch.
Sir Alex Ferguson remains the last manager to beat Real Madrid in a European final.
40 years ago with Aberdeen 👏 pic.twitter.com/Axpvk4Ijks
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 1, 2024
Though not yet the 15-time Champions League winners they are today, Real Madrid was still the most successful club in Europe at the time, boasting six European titles.
In a stunning upset, Ferguson and Aberdeen emerged victorious.
