Revealed: The shocking truth behind those Ferdinand quotes about Liverpool midfielder Thiago

Pep Guardiola’s future is a point of concern after a Champions League thriller, but those Rio Ferdinand quotes on Thiago are the big news.

Increasingly stranger things
Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail understandably enjoyed himself at the Etihad but something was eating him up inside:

‘We are four years in to the second decade of Middle East ownership now and watching this incredible game of European football it was hard not to wonder what further fabulous dramas may lie ahead.

‘More particularly, it seemed increasingly strange – as City traded thunderous blows with the best team in Spain – to ponder why Pep Guardiola would even think about leaving when his current contract expires at the end of next season.’

That does seem an ‘increasingly strange’ angle to ‘ponder’ after ‘watching this incredible game of European football’, which is presumably why literally no-one else did. But here we are.

Guardiola has a contract that runs until 2023. He has been at Manchester City since 2016. This is already his longest unbroken spell as manager of one club by two years. That tenure, a four-year reign at Barcelona, came to an end because of a self-confessed need to “recharge my batteries”.

It is not difficult to figure out why Guardiola might leave when his deal expires. But again, why is this hypothetical scenario that might come to pass in 13 months’ time even a subject of discussion after the first leg of an enthralling Champions League semi-final?

There is no answer. Only more instances of things seeming strange.

‘This is the City team that Guardiola built and much as they were brilliantly expansive and precocious here, it is one that will only grow better, wiser and more talented from this point.

‘Next season, for example, the Premier League leaders are expected to have the Norwegian forward Erling Haaland in their ranks.

‘So, yes, it seems strange that Guardiola would even think about leaving as he has previously suggested he will.’

It would be strange if Guardiola didn’t think about leaving when his current contract of employment runs out. It would be strange if Guardiola was even looking beyond May, considering this season could yet end with Manchester City winning no trophies or claiming a Premier and Champions League double. It is downright bizarre that this is such a point of focus.

‘For all its quirks, this has the look of the greatest City team Guardiola has assembled in his six years in England. Its rivalry with Liverpool is magnetic.

‘If Guardiola does not continue to work here beyond next season, it’s hard to wonder where he will go. Even harder to work out why.’

It truly is impossible to predict what a man who took a sabbatical after four years of intense and uninterrupted elite coaching could potentially do after seven years of intense and uninterrupted elite coaching. Hopefully by the end of that seventh year, Ladyman has figured out the ‘increasingly strange’ world of football contracts.

Pep talk
‘Pep Guardiola must be furious with narrow Man City win – Real Madrid are comeback kings’ – the Daily Mirror headline to John Cross’ opinion piece.

‘Pep Guardiola’s delight with Manchester City’s swashbuckling win against Real Madrid outweighed any frustration about their inability to put the Champions League semi-final to bed in a jaw-dropping first leg’ – MailOnline.

Spill the Thi
The biggest story on Wednesday, of course, is not Manchester City beating Real Madrid 4-3 in a thriller. It’s that Rio Ferdinand has said some words about Thiago Alcantara.

‘Rio Ferdinand claims Thiago Alcantara told him he wanted to sign for Man United before joining Liverpool from Bayern Munich and says his ‘ridiculous’ form shows ‘players need time’… as he tips Jadon Sancho to emulate him,’ is the beefy MailOnline headline.

They add with no little specificity that ‘Ferdinand reveals the player told him he was keen on becoming a Red Devil in 2020 when he was linked with a move away from the Bundesliga’. Except Ferdinand revealed no such thing. He was asked about Manchester United’s previous interest in the midfielder, said that he “spoke to him” and Thiago “wanted to come to United”.

But this was in 2013. Not 2020, and definitely not ‘before joining Liverpool from Bayern Munich’. Ferdinand has even spoken about this at length before on this very same podcast.

Still, if one outlet blinks then others must follow:

‘Rio Ferdinand claims Thiago Alcantara “wanted” to join Man Utd before Liverpool transfer’ – Daily Mirror website.

”I spoke to him’ – Rio Ferdinand makes Thiago transfer claim over Liverpool and Man United’ – Liverpool Echo, who echo the demonstrably erroneous claim that ‘the former England international has claimed Thiago told him he was keen on a move to Old Trafford in 2020’.

‘Rio Ferdinand claims Thiago Alcantara told him he wanted to make Man Utd transfer before moving to rivals Liverpool’ – The Sun website, who even quote Ferdinand as saying “I spoke to him at the time he joined” Liverpool to make it sound more current, when he said no such thing.

But credit where it’s due: Manchester Evening News say ‘Rio Ferdinand makes Thiago admission over Manchester United ‘interest’, yet they clarify that he is talking about a situation many years ago, instead of following everyone else in pretending Thiago rejected Manchester United in favour of Liverpool. Actual fair play.

Saint Etienne

“Anfield is hell!” – Villarreal’s Etienne Capoue claims Liverpool have worst stadium’

…to play at as a visiting team, as the Daily Mirror website well knows.

Trophy strife
The Liverpool Echo headline: ‘Liverpool trophy priority is clear as one cup stands out in quadruple quest’

The Liverpool Echo sub-headline: ‘All Liverpool fans will want the quadruple from here if possible – but is there one trophy that means more than the others?’

You would hope so, considering Liverpool’s ‘trophy priority is clear as one cup stands out in quadruple quest’.

Yet of the two writers tasked with debating the point, Sean Bradbury argues the case for the Premier League and Richard Garnett is in favour of the Champions League.

Congratulations to them for having their click and eating it.