BBC SPORT | Football | Champions League | Fergie faces harsh reality



By Nicolas Andrews BBC Sport Online

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The name of Bela Koplarovic has not, until now, figured in the history of Manchester United.

But the Zalaegerszeg substitute and last-minute goalscorer could be the man who really did bring the curtain down on a decade of unprecedented success at Old Trafford.

Zalaegerszeg stun Man Utd

United fans now face the very real prospect of the whole tournament taking place without them

It is easy to write off the Sir Alex Ferguson all-stars.

Many did last season before they roused themselves for a Premiership challenge that ran to the final week and missed the Champions League final only on away goals.

The overwhelming feeling since May has been that last year was an aberration, that they would bounce back and reclaim their silverware, just as they did in 1999 after the last trophy-less season.

No sooner had they lost the semi-final to Bayer Leverkusen than thoughts turned from Ferguson's planned home-town farewell to the almost inevitable prospect of winning the 2002-03 Champions League at Old Trafford next May.

Have your say on United's defensive woes

But United fans now face the very real prospect of the whole tournament taking place without them.

There was much mirth when Leeds United missed out on the world's premier club tournament. Now Ferguson's men are on the verge of joining them in the Uefa Cup for also-rans.

Bela Koplarovic
Koplarovic: The toast of all Hungary

The manager has trotted out his well-rehearsed list of excuses for Wednesday's defeat in Budapest: injuries, the referee, the pitch, an enforced tactical switch.

But there really is no place to hide and no reason to assume, with the complacency that United fans do, that all will be well at home in two weeks' time.

Arsenal supporters will gladly remind anyone of what happened the last time a team travelled to Manchester needing only a point.

With the �30m paid for an injured Rio Ferdinand still fresh in the mind, this is perhaps not the time to talk money.

But, as the share price sinks to �1 for the first time since the early days of flotation, the financial reality is a very harsh one.

No Champions League income, no more big-money buys - in fact quite the opposite

Just how much United would make from a Champions League run obviously depends on how far they progress. But qualification is worth �10m before a ball is kicked.

And a passage all the way to the final could bring up to 10 times that.

So, no Champions League income, no more big-money buys. In fact quite the opposite.

The Old Trafford wage bill has risen out of all proportion to success on the field.

So it is far more likely that Beckham, Keane, Ferdinand, Veron and the other highest earners will be heading for the door than that they will be joined at Old Trafford by any more members of the supposed footballing elite.