Gabriel Heinze, the former Manchester United player, has accused Sir Alex Ferguson of coming up with "a work of absolute science fiction" after the Old Trafford manager dragged him into the row about Real Madrid's pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Heinze felt compelled to speak out as a response to Ferguson's latest outburst about the "obscene" way Real Madrid had conducted themselves over the summer. In an interview with GQ magazine Ferguson claimed Read Madrid had signed the Argentina international a year earlier not because of his ability as a footballer but because he was "very close" to Ronaldo. "I knew what they were doing," said Ferguson. "I don't believe they were interested in Heinze - good player though he is. The endgame was to get Ronaldo."
Ferguson said he was not "surprised" when Real Madrid started making overtures to Ronaldo because he had suspected their motives ever since they paid £8m for Heinze. "I knew it was coming," he said. "When we sold Gabriel Heinze to Real Madrid we knew it was going to happen because Ronaldo was very close to Heinze."
Those remarks drew an angry response last night from the player he is effectively claiming was a pawn in the game. "I do not understand this," said Heinze. "This theory of Ferguson's - that I went to Real so the club could persuade Cristiano [to sign] the following summer - is a work of absolute science fiction.
"Cristiano is a clever person and he decides himself what is best for his own life. I am a good very friend of his. This is true but he always decides his own future. If he asks me a question about Real, then of course I will answer but I am not a bad influence on him."
Heinze's relationship with Ferguson disintegrated at the end of the 2006-07 season after he made it clear he wanted to leave Old Trafford and accept an offer to join Liverpool. Ferguson was so desperate for it not to happen that the matter eventually went to a Premier League tribunal which ruled in the club's favour.
"The decision was down to United but Ferguson was furious and they rejected my desire to go to Liverpool," Heinze recounted. "Ferguson is the boss at United and any person who protests about anything is marginalised. This was my problem at times when I was there. Finally the best thing for me was to accept the proposition of Real Madrid and now I am very happy in Spain."
Despite his protests Heinze admitted being disappointed that Ronaldo had been unable to force through his "dream" move. "I am actually convinced that Cristiano would offer Madrid even bigger performances than he has for United. That is my personal opinion and it is only natural that I have wanted him to come and play with us here in La Liga. Ferguson cannot stop me talking now because I am no longer at Manchester United."
What is clear is that Ferguson's opinion of Real Madrid could hardly be much lower after what he believes was a strategically planned operation within the Bernabéu, taking over a year, to make the club as attractive as possible for Ronaldo.
Ferguson is also understood to be treating the Madrid president Ramón Calderón's recent declaration that his interest in Ronaldo is over "forever" with a high level of suspicion.
Real Madrid's history has become a source of fascination to Ferguson, who has talked of them having "no moral issues at all" and seems happy to take any opportunity to run down the nine-time European Cup winners.
"What made it [their bid for Ronaldo] really obscene was that Madrid, as General Franco's club, had a history of being able to get whoever and whatever they wanted, before democracy came to Spain," said the United manager.
