Paul Scholes says Didier Deschamps “screamed like a big baby” to get him suspended for the 1999 Champions League final.
Scholes missed Manchester United’s famous 2-1 win over Bayern Munich after picking up a yellow card in the semi-final second leg against Juventus, which United won 3-2.
United’s final win was perhaps the most significant game in the club’s long history, and Scholes says both he and captain Roy Keane – also suspended after a booking – were devastated to miss out.
“You just deal with it don’t you,” Scholes said on the A Goal in One podcast.
“I was gutted at the time but there’s nothing you can do about it.
“I tackled Deschamps and I’ve seen it a few times. I don’t think it was a foul, to be honest with you.
“It was right in front of the ref, he screamed like a big girl, like a big baby which didn’t help me.
“It got me booked and I missed the final but I may not have played in the final, you never know.”
With Scholes and Keane both missing, United lined up for the final with Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, David Beckham and Jesper Blomqvist across midfield.
And, while United trailed Bayern going into the dying minutes, it was the side which eventually secured the treble thanks to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s last-gasp heroics.
Scholes says this was proof of the strength in depth Sir Alex Ferguson had throughout his fearsome squad at the time.
“We had massive games,” he added.
“Big games against Spurs to win the league, the FA cup final the next Saturday and then the Champions League final.
“I was devastated to miss it, of course I was. Roy was as well.
“But it didn’t matter who was missing, we still had the capability in the squad, someone can fill in and do just as good a job.”
Manchester United are now some way short of their former glory, and Solskjaer is the man tasked with restoring it.
His immediate plans have been boosted on Monday with the news that Odion Ighalo’s loan from Shanghai Shenhua has been extended until January.
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