Ruud was wronged, say United
Manchester United insist Ruud van Nistelrooy was quoted inaccurately when he was reported to have described the wages of players at Old Trafford as “obscene” and “astronomical”.
A United spokesman said the translation of an interview taken from Dutch magazine ‘Voetbal International, which appeared in a Sunday newspaper and subsequently on the club’s official website, had been incorrect in several instances.
“Ruud is wrongly reported to have described the wages of Manchester United players as ‘obscene’ and ‘astronomical’,” said the spokesman.
“Ruud is also reported to have said that Manchester United players play card games for money because ‘they an afford it’ and that the manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, ‘is fine as long as he is winning’.
“These words were not said by Ruud in his interview with Voetbal International, nor on any other occasion. Nor did he ever say that the club’s manager has been nicknamed ‘the Hawk’ by the players.”
