‘Boring Team’: The private text Ferguson sent after Arsenal’s defeat has leaked

A reported private message from former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has ignited fresh debate over Arsenal’s style of play following the Gunners’ heartbreaking UEFA Champions League final defeat.

According to French sports daily L’Equipe, Ferguson congratulated Al-Khelaifi after PSG retained the Champions League title with a penalty shootout victory over Arsenal in Budapest, but allegedly accompanied his message with a stinging assessment of Mikel Arteta’s side.

The report claimed Ferguson described Arsenal as a team that “did nothing but defend” during the final, a remark that has since generated widespread discussion among football fans and pundits.

Arsenal’s dream of winning a first-ever Champions League title ended in agony after PSG triumphed on penalties following a tense contest that finished 1-1 after extra time.

The Premier League champions had taken an early lead through Kai Havertz before Ousmane Dembele restored parity from the penalty spot in the second half. The contest eventually went to penalties, where misses from Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes handed the trophy to the French giants.

According to L’Equipe, Ferguson’s message to the PSG president read: “Nasser, this is Alex Ferguson. Well done, it was a tough night for you, but you played against a boring team that did nothing but defend. Enjoy your holidays, you deserve it.”

The reported comments quickly attracted attention given Ferguson’s status as one of football’s most successful managers and a two-time Champions League winner with Manchester United.

However, the controversy deepened after respected transfer journalist Ben Jacobs challenged the accuracy of the reported quote.

The Mirror said Jacobs claimed Ferguson did not describe Arsenal as “boring” and instead told Al-Khelaifi: “You were the team that played football.”

The conflicting accounts have left uncertainty over Ferguson’s exact words, though both versions suggest the former United boss believed PSG were the more adventurous side in the final.

Statistics from the match appeared to support the argument that Arsenal spent much of the evening without the ball. Arteta’s men reportedly recorded less than 25 per cent possession across 120 minutes and managed only one shot on target, which resulted in Havertz’s opening goal.

PSG midfielder João Neves also appeared to question Arsenal’s approach after the match.

“The emotion is there. It’s the second time I’ve been a European champion,” Neves said.

“We deserved it today because PSG were the only team that wanted to play.”

The comments are likely to fuel further debate over whether Arsenal’s pragmatic game plan was a necessary response to PSG’s attacking quality or evidence that the Gunners abandoned the expansive football that helped them win the Premier League title.

Despite the criticism, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi struck a more conciliatory tone after lifting the trophy.

“Today is an amazing history day,” he told TNT Sports. “Back-to-back Champions League titles are not easy. The Champions League is difficult.”

While celebrating PSG’s achievement, Al-Khelaifi also reserved praise for Arsenal.

“Bad luck to Arsenal, great team, fantastic team, all the best, big respect for them,” he said.