'That's where I lost it' - Sir Alex Ferguson's half-time mistake vs Barcelona that cost Man United the Champions League final

10 years after that disappointing night under the arch, Manchester United's legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he had just one regret following the defeat to Barcelona.

"That's where I lost the final against Barcelona at Wembley," a tormented Ferguson told SPORTbible in 2021. "I should have changed at half-time and put Park Ji-sung on [Lionel] Messi.

"That was a mistake... I was going to do it at half-time, then I said: 'Well, we just equalised before half-time, they may see the game differently, we may grow into the game better.' We were actually quite good in the last 10 minutes of that half.

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"We came into it and we could have been in front. But if I'd played Park against Messi, I think we'd have beat them. I really do."

It is unsurprising that the one regret revolved around Messi. The Argentinian genius had already secured the Golden Boot in that season's Champions League before taking to the field in London.

But Ferguson's words a decade on from the 3-1 defeat were in stark contrast to his thoughts immediately after the full-time whistle, where there were no comments on what could have been, just mere acceptance. "Nobody's given us a hiding like that but they deserve it," he said.

"They play the right way, and they enjoy their football. They do mesmerize you with their passing and we never really did control Messi but many people have said that.

"In my time as manager, it's the best team I've faced. I think everyone acknowledges that, and I accept it." In truth, the 2011 Champions League final was the crowning achievement of Pep Guardiola's football philosophy.

Since leaving Catalonia, Guardiola has been chasing the pinnacle of