United legend Ferguson: Prem will bounce back in Europe

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists the Premier League will strike back and become European heavyweights again, after another disappointing campaign in both the Champions League and Europa League.

Leicester City are the only English side left in the last eight of the Champions League, with United maintaining Premier League interest in the Europa League.

Fixture congestion and the competitive nature of England’s top flight have been suggested as reasons for the Premier League’s repeated failure in the competition of late.

Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images

But Ferguson, who led United to two Champions League titles, insists Spain’s current hold on both competitions, which sees Real Madrid and Sevilla as Champions League and Europa League holders respectively, will diminish and English clubs can be a force once more.

”I think success is cyclical. In the ’70s, Ajax and Bayern Munich; ’80s, Liverpool; ’90s Italy, AC Milan. And then England had a great spell,” he said.

“We were in three finals in four years. Now, the dominance is in Spain. There’s no question of that.

“The same question could be asked about why is Bayern Munich not winning the Champions League, why the Italians are not winning it, why the French don’t win it. At the moment, the cycle is with the Spanish teams. And they’re best, that’s why they’re winning it.

“But it can change. [Cristiano] Ronaldo is older, [Lionel] Messi is older – can they replace those players? That will happen. And the cycle will change.”