Sir Alex sanjungi Muhammad Ali!

Apakah persamaan antara Muhammad Ali dan Sir Alex Ferguson? Kedua2nya berusia 70 tahun (beza 18 hari) dan kedua2nya legenda dalam bidang sukan yang diceburi masing2!

Bezanya, Muhammad Ali menghidap sakit Parkinson manakala SAF masih lagi gagah memimpin Man Utd!

Walaubagaimanapun SAF begitu menyanjungi Muhammad Ali! Menurut majalah Inside United, SAF ditanya mengenai apakah acara sukan yang ingin beliau hadiri sekiranya diberi peluang? Dan jawab SAF, kejohanan World Heavyweight pada 25 Februari 1964. Kenapa? Berikut adalah petikan temubual SAF bersama majalah tersebut:

Cassius Clay against Sonny Liston, I would love to have been at that. That fight earmarked the rise of the greatest athlete in the world, I think. Clay [who later changed his name to Ali] was young and brash and the build-up to the fight was fantastic.

"It was unbelievable – Clay went to Liston’s house with a bear trap, saying: “Come on, come out here, I’ve got this for you.” You could see the pure “I’m going to kill you” anger in Liston’s face. It was unbelievable theatre.

"Liston [the reigning champion] was an absolute monster but Clay knocked him out. So that fight showed for me what a great boxer he was, but also what a great personality he had.

"His interviews at the time were phenomenal and he’d come out with poetry before the fights. But that time he went to Liston’s house was magnificent. Talk about courage! Clay also had the courage of course to stand up and say he wouldn’t fight for his country in the Vietnam war. You have to say he's an amazing man."

Dan itulah gayanya apabila seorang legenda meminati legenda yang lainnya!

 Muhammad Ali ketika sambutan ulang tahun kelahirannya yang ke-70, baru-baru ini...