Gerard Pique has admitted that he couldn't understand what Sir Alex Ferguson was saying during his time at Old Trafford and claimed his former team-mates lived on a diet of "beer and burgers".
The defender left United to return to Barcelona in the summer but still seems baffled by his experiences in England.
'There were some incredible things happening at United," he told the Spanish press. "It [the diet at Old Trafford] was outrageous. Everyone ate whatever they wanted to eat and when you think about the typical English diet, you can imagine what I am talking about.
"The players were allowed to eat what they wanted and it must be remembered that the English diet is just like people say.
"Every two weeks we were checked out on a machine that measured the amount of body fat. You would be amazed at how many top players practically broke the machine because their diet was based on beer and burgers."
But the diet of the United players wasn't the only thing that left Pique baffled.
"I arrived not being able to speak English and I got lost a little bit in the team-talks. The gaffer, as Ferguson is known in Manchester, spoke a very Scottish kind of English that might as well have been Chinese as far as I was concerned. But I wasn't the worst - there are players in the current squad who still don't understand him."
Your Comments
mungo
"Pique pants! why can't players just move on gracefully? He's just gutted that he never played enough to get the medals & trophies that the quality players fought hard for and deserved. What a bitter & twisted fool!"
1gooner
"Eveyone just likes to take a cheap shot at the Premiership because it is the best league in the world. This would have been worth the attention if it was Ruud Van Nistelrooy or Heinze saying this becuause Pique is just...well Pique. First it was racist Platini and the "never made it as a player" called Blatter now its a "should have been" who is trying to discredit the Premiership."
dee_farrell
"well maybe other teams should eat burgers n drink beer,it seems to work a treat!!"
SnoddyMufc
"lol, i think what he is trying to say is, that probably on the odd occasion mid week, players would treat themselves to a burger and a few beers, by what he is saying he is making our team out to look like low life junkies! i think the trophies and the success speaks for itself, just coz he couldnt get into the team, i think he is jealous! and is searchin for attention here! and most likely after a win, on a saturday night, players will go out and have a few drinks and maybe a take away, WHATS WRONG WITH THAT? they are humans after all, and we all do it dont we!? :) nuff said"
d4udy
"Pique should be on stage with them jokes, no wonder he never got a regular 1st team place, he mustve been the club-comedian, just like Alan Hansen famously said in 96, u cant win the league with kids, get a life mate, heard u can buy em on e-bay, nowadays, half price aswell."
SirAlexLegend
"Rite, thats it..... im goin to the shop and stocking up on beer and burgers, i wanna get paid 120'000 a week and be idolised by millions!! pique should man up and except that he's just another old trafford coulda, woulda, shoulda been's! he and gueseppi rossi should start a facebook group! "
uk56den
"Another load of old tosh. I believe that the results speak for themselves, who can argue against that. Oh and by the way i am a gooner fan. Credit is whereit is deserved I think. gazozzie has said it about right as far as I am concerned."
scott123456
"Maybe that's where Pique went wrong?"
globalred
"They say fat people are happy people. Yes¿ happy being champs of England, champs of Europe, then next month champs of the world¿ innit."
lfcpaul
"Think Pique is probably right looking at the size of Rooney & Tevez this year. No need to ask who ate all the pies? He's also in a good position to see the difference now he's at Barca, you couldn't say there not playing well at the moment! "
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