Patrice Evra Revealed Why Sir Alex Ferguson Covered Seat During Manchester Derby

Dead rubber fixtures never align with derby day, and few understand that better than Patrice Evra. When the ex-Manchester United defender arrived in England in 2006, he may have had little idea of how intense local rivalries could be in football’s native land. But by 2014, after experiencing Sir Alex Ferguson’s unwavering passion during Manchester derbies, he left Old Trafford with a deep appreciation for what those matches truly meant.

From rivalries marked by back-and-forth battles for trophies to those fuelled by pure hostility, Britain has no shortage of fierce football derbies. While the Manchester derby often seemed one-sided during Ferguson’s reign – with United losing just 11 of his 47 matches against City – the legendary manager never treated the fixture lightly.

His animosity ran so deep that even something as minor as sitting on a chair with a Manchester City logo could irritate him. As strange as it sounds, Evra confirmed that Ferguson’s disdain for the blue half of Manchester was that strong back in 2021.

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Evra Revealed Why Ferguson Had Cover on Man City Seat

The Scot was – and still is – an honorary Mancunian

In 2021, Rafael Benitez made the courageous career decision to take charge of Everton, the local rivals of Liverpool, who the Spaniard had guided to the Champions League just 16 years prior. Evra, addressing the appointment, told the Mirror that Ferguson would have never made the move to a rival club, revealing the lengths he went to to show his loyalty to the Red Devils. He said:

Benitez famously won the Champions League for Liverpool but put his reputation on the line by taking over at Goodison Park that summer. Thankfully for the Anfield faithful, all didn’t go to plan across from Stanley Park, as he was sacked after just seven months, which saw him boast a worrying win rate of just over 31%. For that reason, he remains a Liverpool great.

His greatness, however, could never hold a candle to that of Ferguson. Across his 26 years at Old Trafford, he won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, rebuilt the squad on countless occasions and, most significantly, turned down the likes of Real Madrid because of how dedicated he was to the masterful team he had built.

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In Layman’s terms, Fergie became an honorary Mancunian, and if he’s not spotted at Old Trafford every other weekend, even these days, then M16 doesn’t quite feel right. Even after being relieved from his ambassadorial duties, the 83-year-old has remained a devoted supporter through the lows of life without him prowling the touchline.

Fergie’s decision to cover up the City badge came after his managerial career in April 2018, when two goals from Paul Pogba and another from Chris Smalling helped Jose Mourinho’s side complete a 3-2 comeback – it remains one of the more memorable derbies in recent years as Pep Guardiola’s winning machine continues to rewrite the script.