Former Manchester United centre-back, Rio Ferdinand, has insisted that the Red Devils cannot win the Champions League this season because five teams are ahead of them in the competition.
Ferdinand said this as Man United clashes with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 first-leg tie on Wednesday night.
Premier League clubs, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool, are the frontrunners to win the Champions League, while Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also in the mix.
But Ferdinand believes his former club stands no chance of winning the Champions League this term, insisting they are ‘nowhere near it’ when compared to their rivals.
Asked if Man United can triumph, Ferdinand said on BT Sport: “No, I don’t, if I’m being honest.
“They’re nowhere near it in the league, yes it is a [Champions League] knockout competition, but I see three or four maybe five teams that are ahead of Man United to win this, at least.
“You need a level of consistency to perform, home and away, to get the job done. There have been occasions where we have seen something, but they have taken two steps back. You need 11 strokes, 13, 14 players in every game to perform and Man United have been guilty of not doing that enough.”
