Paul Scholes insists ‘ridiculous’ Barcelona and Real Madrid teams stopped Man Utd from winning SIX Champions Leagues
PAUL SCHOLES reckons Manchester United could have won SIX Champion’s League trophies if it wasn’t for the dazzling Barcelona and Real Madrid sides he faced.
The Red Devils icon, who played 124 times in Europe’s top club competition, lifted the trophy twice with his United teammates during his stellar career.
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Alongside the memorable wins, the Salford-born player also experienced some famous losses in the competition.
They include two heartbreaking defeats to Pep Guardiola’s Nou Camp superstars, a team considered to be among the greatest in Champion’s League history.
On Scholes said: “You could go right through the (Barcelona) team. In midfield, you had Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi.
“Henry on the left. Centre halves of Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol. Just unreal.
“They're without doubt the best team I've played against. They're one of the best teams that has ever been.
“We were quite unlucky really. In any other era we might have won four, five, or six European Cups.
“But the teams that were about - you look at Guardiola's Barcelona team. Jesus, how good were they?!
Scholes, who played 700 times for United during a career spanning two decades, came close to acknowledging Real Madrid bested the Old Trafford in 2002-03.
The Bernabeu club, who were managed by Vicente Del Bosque, knocked Sir Alex’s Ferguson’s team out of the competition that season.
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Del Bosque’s Madrid stars, who included Zinedine Zidane, won 6-5 on aggregate in a thrilling quarter-final tie.
Scholes, 45, added: "We got absolutely battered in the Bernabeu one year. 3-1 it was in the first game but what a team that was. It's not far away from that Barcelona team.
“They had the Brazilian Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Redondo was unreal, Raul, Roberto Carlos, Hierro, Iker Casillas in goal, that was a team that was just ridiculous.
“We came up against some ridiculous teams. We did alright against them but Barcelona just had that edge over that great Real Madrid team.”