Sir Alex Ferguson presented Pep Guardiola with his LMA Manager of the Year Award through gritted teeth as the Manchester United legend only half jokingly admitted: "It's sore, isn't it?"
Manchester City boss Guardiola secured a third consecutive English Premier League title after overhauling Arsenal at the top of the tree. And he could be on to repeat Fergie's Treble feat, 24 years after the Scot created history at Old Trafford. United lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League after a dramatic end to the 199 final against Bayern Munich in Barcelona, when Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's stoppage time strikes completed an unlikely late turnaround.
Now City can bag the same trio of trophies, starting with a victory over their city rivals in Saturday's FA Cup Final at Wembley. Do that and it's on, with Inter waiting in the Champions League Final in Istanbul a week later. Having lost to Chelsea at the same stage during Covid and a Real Madrid comeback denying City at the semi-final stage last season, this is seen as the best chance they'll get to finally lift the prize they covet amongst all other.
Ferguson was smiling as he announced Guardiola as the winner, but the rivalry will never leave the Scot after so long at the red half of Manchester, where he built a lasting legacy of unrivalled success. And with his Treble achievement in Pep's sights, there's no doubt the Aberdeen great will be praying Erik Ten Hag's men do the business in London this weekend.
But he was also full of praise for the Catalan. Fergie said: "He's created a team that's improved every year and winning three championships in a row tells you the story. Their performances, in the latter part when it really means something, have been top class."
