Juventus star Patrick Vieira has launched an astonishing attack on Ruud van Nistelrooy in his autobiography, labelling the Manchester United striker “a cheat and a coward”.
Vieira, who quit Arsenal for Juventus in the summer, makes it clear that the Dutch international became his number one enemy during his time in England.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy is a cheat and a coward who is sneaky in the way he goes about fouling other players,” Vieira wrote.
“Everyone thinks he’s a nice guy but, in fact, he’s a son of a *****. He has a history of incidents that all too often have gone unnoticed. He has punched Freddie Ljungberg and elbowed Lauren. At Arsenal we hated him and had real reason to do so. I can’t stand the sight of Van Nistelrooy. He’s a great player — but everything about him annoys me,” he added.
It is believed that Van Nistelrooy is considering legal action against the former Gunners skipper.
Vieira, meanwhile, continued his tirade by claiming that Van Nistelrooy “shafted” him during an ill-tempered goalless draw between Arsenal and United in 2003.
“I was sent off at Old Trafford after a second yellow card as a result of an incident with him. I got shafted. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil,” Vieira said.
“He tried to stamp on me and then he made more of the challenge than he should have done. I am not blaming the referee. He got shafted too.”
Vieira then revealed that he was close to striking Van Nistelrooy in the tunnel after the goalless draw, in which the United hitman missed a penalty in the dying moments.
“I was standing with a friend when Van Nistelrooy walked past,” Vieira continued. “We looked at each other. He tried to talk to me and I told him that it was finished and I had nothing more to say.
“But he persisted. So I asked if I had touched him. He simply replied, ‘You have no class’. That was the icing on the cake. He was trying to convince himself that he had not cheated, which showed he didn’t have a clear conscience.
“I said, ‘Watch it, or I’m going to land one on you’. This altercation confirmed my view that not only is Van Nistelrooy a cheat, he lacks courage,” insisted Vieira.
'Vieira: My Autobiography' is published by Orion Books on November 17, priced £18.99
Vieira, who quit Arsenal for Juventus in the summer, makes it clear that the Dutch international became his number one enemy during his time in England.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy is a cheat and a coward who is sneaky in the way he goes about fouling other players,” Vieira wrote.
“Everyone thinks he’s a nice guy but, in fact, he’s a son of a *****. He has a history of incidents that all too often have gone unnoticed. He has punched Freddie Ljungberg and elbowed Lauren. At Arsenal we hated him and had real reason to do so. I can’t stand the sight of Van Nistelrooy. He’s a great player — but everything about him annoys me,” he added.
It is believed that Van Nistelrooy is considering legal action against the former Gunners skipper.
Vieira, meanwhile, continued his tirade by claiming that Van Nistelrooy “shafted” him during an ill-tempered goalless draw between Arsenal and United in 2003.
“I was sent off at Old Trafford after a second yellow card as a result of an incident with him. I got shafted. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil,” Vieira said.
“He tried to stamp on me and then he made more of the challenge than he should have done. I am not blaming the referee. He got shafted too.”
Vieira then revealed that he was close to striking Van Nistelrooy in the tunnel after the goalless draw, in which the United hitman missed a penalty in the dying moments.
“I was standing with a friend when Van Nistelrooy walked past,” Vieira continued. “We looked at each other. He tried to talk to me and I told him that it was finished and I had nothing more to say.
“But he persisted. So I asked if I had touched him. He simply replied, ‘You have no class’. That was the icing on the cake. He was trying to convince himself that he had not cheated, which showed he didn’t have a clear conscience.
“I said, ‘Watch it, or I’m going to land one on you’. This altercation confirmed my view that not only is Van Nistelrooy a cheat, he lacks courage,” insisted Vieira.
'Vieira: My Autobiography' is published by Orion Books on November 17, priced £18.99
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