Lippi: Ferguson was almost like a brother to me

Legendary Italian boss Marcello Lippi is deciding which anecdote to tell first when talk turns to his 'brotherly' relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson.

'Yes, he was almost like a brother to me,' Lippi tells Sportsmail.

'We exchanged many gifts. I brought him the Turin gianduiotti (chocolate) for his grandchildren but he ate them in the end.'

The two bosses spanned generations, building sides capable of being the very best across Europe.

Lippi, now 71, has fond memories of his time sharing a touchline with Ferguson when Manchester United collided with the Italian's dogged Juventus.

And while the pair had mutual respect in their technical areas for each other, the respect extended into a shared love of wine.

He continued: 'Even the wine, the good one from my Tuscany. He loved sending me the Matrioskas, the Russian ones, with boxes in the boxes containing his 1971 Whiskey Maccallan. One day I have to call Alex and ask him for another box.'

Competition, as it often does in those who dedicate their life to sport, got the better of them when they had a bet as to the name of a particular bottle.

'He was in love with a wine he called 'Tigno'. In reality it was called 'Tignanello' but he was convinced it was wrong,' Lippi explains.

'We made a bet and called the sommelier of that restaurant: I won! We used to send wine suggestions by mobile phone: he was a big fan.'

Lippi himself almost arrived on English shores when Tottenham made an offer to lure him away from Turin.

'Yes, I was very close to Tottenham when I was coaching Juventus,' he said.

'They were very nice to me by contacting my son Davide. But I didn't feel like leaving Turin and Juventus. For me, Juve was like Manchester United for Ferguson: a unique club that I loved to bits.

'I didn't speak English well and that was also a reason I declined. Someone told me that Ferguson also didn't speak English well because he was Scottish!'

Even after years of competition, the Italian can still laugh when he remembers the battles with his former foe.