Sir Alex Ferguson fumed at 'most stupid' question from reporter after Barcelona beat Manchester United

Never one to get on the wrong side of, Sir Alex Ferguson often aired his frustration at the world's media and that was no different for one unfortunate reporter back in 2011.

United met tonight's opponents Barcelona in the Champions League final that year but were completely outplayed by Pep Guardiola's side in a 3-1 defeat. A man-of-the-match performance from Lionel Messi at Wembley saw the Argentine arrow a brilliant shot past Edwin van der Sar, with goals either side from Pedro and David Villa sealing the win.

After the final whistle and subsequent celebrations and commiserations, the Reds manager was tasked with facing the media to pick apart the defeat in an unenviable task.

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And after the usual questions about his side's performance, a reporter asked: "Sir Alex, if the owners of Manchester United gave you a blank cheque, over the summer and allowed you to bring in only one of Barcelona's team tonight, who would you sign?"

To which the fiery Scot responded: "That's one of the most stupid questions I've ever heard in my life."

As the rest of the media room broke into laughter, Ferguson joked with a smile: "Probably (Javier) Mascherano.... You test my patience."

In a more serious moment during his post-match press conference, Ferguson heaped praise on a brilliant Barcelona side and was humble in defeat.

"They're the best in Europe, no question about that," The Scot said. "In my time as a manager, I would say they're the best team we've faced. Everyone acknowledges that and I accept that. It's not easy when you've been well beaten like that to think another way.

"No one has given us a hiding like that. It's a great moment for them. They