Fergie: Ronaldo, Messi exits will end Spain dominance

Matt Stead

Sir Alex Ferguson expects Spain’s current dominance in European competition as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi get older.

Either Real Madrid or Barcelona have won each of the last three Champions League titles, while two of the last three finals have been all-Spanish affairs.

The dominance extends to the Europa League, where four of the last five titles have been won by Spanish clubs.

The Champions League quarter-finals will have more representatives from Spain (3) than any other country, but former Manchester United manager Ferguson says such dominant periods are “cyclical”.

“I think success is cyclical,” he told ESPN. “If you think about the 90s, it was AC Milan. In the 70s, Ajax; and Bayern Munich in the 80s; Liverpool, in the 90s; Italy, AC Milan; then England had a great spell with three teams about six years ago all in the semi-final. We [Man United] were in three finals in four years.

“[Now] the domain is in Spain. There’s no question about that. The same question could be asked about why are the German teams, why are Bayern Munich not winning the Champions League? Why are the Italians not winning it? Why are the French not winning it? And why are the English not winning it?

“I think the moment, the cycle is with the Spanish teams. They’re the best, and that’s why they’re winning it. But that will change, that can change. You know, [Cristiano] Ronaldo will get older, [Lionel] Messi will get older. Can they replace these players? And I think the cycle will change.”