Kenyon and Blatter targeted in fiery Ferguson interview

SIR Alex Ferguson has dismissed Peter Kenyon's defection to Chelsea in 2003 by insisting it was a blessing in disguise.

Kenyon replaced Martin Edwards as chief executive of Manchester United in August 2000 and much was made of his long-time support of the club.

During his tenure, Kenyon negotiated record sponsorship deals and secured a marketing tie-up with the New York Yankees as well as overseeing the signings of Rio Ferdinand, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Juan Sebastian Veron.

However, the highly public pursuit of Ronaldinho ended in failure when the player chose to join Barcelona while David Beckham moved to Real Madrid.

After three years Kenyon chose to move to a similar position at Chelsea under new owner Roman Abramovich with United moving swiftly to replace him with David Gill. Ferguson, though, is adamant his departure was not a blow.

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Ferguson said: "No. Definitely not. Peter Kenyon? He wasn't a loss. The best thing that has happened recently has been David Gill."

Since Kenyon moved to Stamford Bridge, United have won both European and domestic titles. Kenyon was pictured wearing a runners-up medal at the Champions League final in Moscow earlier this year after the Red Devils had edged the penalty shoot-out.

In contrast, Sir Bobby Charlton refused to wear a winners' medal. Ferguson continued: "Charlton was saying: 'Look, this is not my night. This is the players' night.'

"There would have been a lot of understanding if he had worn the medal because, 50 years on from the Busby Babes, he had every right. But he was thinking of the players and the football club. And that is Bobby Charlton."

In the same interview, Ferguson says he believes Fifa president Sepp Blatter is in danger of becoming an object of ridicule after he likened the Cristiano Ronaldo saga to "modern slavery".

In July Blatter said Ronaldo should be allowed to leave United for Real Madrid if he wanted, suggesting players are slaves to their clubs. The Portuguese eventually stayed at Old Trafford but Ferguson has hit out at the 72-year-old.

"I think Sepp Blatter is in danger...or has reached a point now where he is being mocked within the game.

"Whether he is getting too old, I don't know.

"But things can happen to people in power. Look at some of the despots in Africa."

While denying he was likening Blatter to a dictator, Ferguson went on: "That would be ridiculous. All I'm saying is that, from a position of great power, he has uttered so many ridiculous statements that he is in danger of seriously damaging his credibility.

"So when he came out with that stuff it created a furore and rightly so, the year after the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery."