Dimitar Berbatov has ‘painful’ memories of being left out of 2011 Champions League final squad
Dimitar Berbatov still struggles to look at the white shirt worn by Manchester United in the 2010-11 UEFA Champions League Final as it brings back “painful” memories of being rejected from the squad.
Berbatov was in the form of his life in 2011, winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot that season, awarded to the league’s top goalscorer.
But legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson overlooked him for a place in the match squad for the final, leaving Berbatov stunned.
In an interview with BT Sports on their What I wore feature film starring Andrew Mensah, the Bulgarian thought when he saw the shirt again.
“I wasn’t on the bench, I wasn’t in the team,” he explains. “That year I was a champion, the scorer for my team, and the Premier League Golden Boot.”
Dimitar Berbatov (left) still has ‘painful’ memories of his disapproval of the 2011 Champions League final
Asked what happened, he added, “What happened? As a manager you make choices and at that point Sir Alex decided not to count on me.
“At that point I felt so confident I thought I could shoot from the halfway line and he’d go in!”
In a match where United were thoroughly outclassed and lost 3-1, Ferguson had a bench that included Tomasz Kuszczak, Chris Smalling, Anderson, Nani, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher and Michael Owen.
But the nostalgia for Berbatov as he looked through his shirts wasn’t just bad.
He revealed that he was attracted to Manchester United by the club’s prestige, with the manager and playing staff proving to be a difficult prospect to say no to in 2008.
Berbatov won the Premier League’s Golden Boot in 2010–11 but was overlooked for a spot on the bench in the 2011 final
The Bulgarian joined the Red Devils from Premier League rivals Tottenham at the end of the 2007-08 season on a £30.75 million transfer, having excelled as the top for the north London team.
By this point, Ferguson’s all-conquering side had won a second league title at the spin and were poised for a third, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney all shooting up front.
However, Spurs also attracted interest from United’s rivals Manchester City at the time, although Berbatov remained convinced there was only one destination for him.
“The badge, the history, the manager, the players, the trophies!” added the former striker. “Before, there was no comparison, no second guess, and no choices to make — just one!
‘In my head there was only one more step to take to reach (the top of) my mountain, my personal peak.
“One of the reasons I wanted to be part of this team was because of the players. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play with players like (Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez)? You want to be there, you want to be part of that team and test yourself against the best players.’
The Bulgarian joined from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 for £30.75 million.
The 42-year-old was crowned Premier League champions twice during his four years at United
Berbatov’s time at Old Trafford was fruitful, with the Bulgarian earning two Premier League titles, a pair of Champions League medals and a League Cup and Club World Cup title.
In his four-season spell at the club, the now 42-year-old won at least one trophy in every calendar year, bagged a further two Community Shields and finished top scorer in 2010/11 with 20.
He attributed much of that success to the ‘mind’ at the club, claiming that ‘it’s all about winning’ at Man United at the time.
He would later join Fulham, but it was at Spurs that Berbatov really made himself known to English football fans, thanks in large part to the quality of the goals he scored.
The Bulgarian was known for his spectacular goals and in 2008 played in Tottenham’s last side to win a trophy.
And the striker himself admitted that his infamous long-range volley against Middlesbrough was among his favorites – although he claimed he was a ‘specialist’ at the spectacle.
“When you score them, even if your mind goes crazy, you can still hear the fans say ‘Woah! I always thought, that’s how you do it, because I always want to be an entertainer.’
Watch Tottenham v Manchester United live and exclusively on BT Sport 1 from 7pm on Thursday 27 April. For more info, visit btsport.com