Joleon Lescott took a dig at Manchester United fans in the build-up to the Champions League final to leave Rio Ferdinand speechless. The former Manchester City defender joked about the majority of Red Devils supporters not living near the city so won’t give him flak if City lose.
United fans are hoping Inter Milan do them a favour in Istanbul. City can match their historic 1999 treble triumph if they overcome the Italian side.
Pep Guardiola’s team are aiming to win the Champions League for the first time in their second appearance in a final. They are strong favourites to do so after already lifting the Premier League and FA Cup in recent weeks.
BT Sport compiled a punditry panel including two former City players in Lescott and Mario Balotelli. Ferdinand and former Arsenal and Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas were there as neutral voices.
Lescott is backing his old club to win. However, if they again fall at the final hurdle, he has joked he won’t receive much stick when he returns to Manchester, poking fun at United fans and Ferdinand.
Lescott said: “If it is a negative outcome I’ll have to suffer more because I live in the city and I’m around a lot of fans from both teams. Rio, like most Man Utd fans, live down south so he’s away from the parade and all that stuff anyway.”
BT presenter Jake Humphrey said to Ferdinand: “No comeback?”
To which Ferdinand replied: “No. I’m surrounded by City players, City fans all over the place. It’s doing my head in.”
Ex-City and Inter striker Balotelli was making his first punditry appearance. Ferdinand admitted it had been a hard few days as a United legend spending time with the Italian but revealed his admiration for City.
He said: “I’ve had to suffer this guy [Balotelli] for the last couple of days, I’ve got to be honest with you. Smugness has been like electric coming out of his pores.
“Good luck to him but I don’t think we’ll be sharing drinks later after this game if City wins – I’m going straight to bed, he can enjoy himself.
“Greatness awaits these players if they can get over the line. From the Man United side of town, I respect this team. I’ve said that continuously in the lead-up to this game because of the way they play a great brand of football.”
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