There is one unwritten but simple rule when it comes to playing for Manchester United: don’t play for Liverpool.
But defender Gabriel Heinze obviously did not understand this message in 2007 when he tried to force a move to the Red Devils’ arch-rivals.
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The defender was bidding to become the first player to move directly between the two clubs since Phil Chisnall’s £25,000 transfer to Anfield in 1964, and only the third in Premier League history after Michael Owen and Paul Ince.
What he didn’t expect, however, was that legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t like Liverpool and therefore intervened and blocked the deal. After all, Fergie had spent years building United into a team that could “knock Liverpool off their throne”. Heinze’s response was to hire a Liverpool-based law firm.
Heinze’s agent Roberto Rodriguez is said to have learned from then United managing director David Gill that the left-back could move for £6.8 million.
However, United had not expected this offer to come from the M62, where coach Rafa Benitez had tried to bring the Argentine international to join Steven Gerrard and Co.
An offer of £6.8 million was made, but to Heinze’s anger and dismay, United rejected the offer as Ferguson was adamant that a transfer to Merseyside was out of the question.
At the time, Ferguson said: “I can assure you that Liverpool will not get Gabriel Heinze. We can write that off immediately and that is what we have done.”
“We had a few offers for him and we turned them down. Heinze’s agents are not letting up.
“But no matter what his agent thinks, we’re in charge. I don’t know exactly what Gaby thinks because everything comes from his agent, but it’s been like this for a year and a half now.”
He added: “We are aware that he is taking legal advice, but that is good. I just hope it is good advice because we are very confident.”
“I am aware that there are suggestions that he will instruct Liverpool’s lawyers, but that does not worry me. Either he has a case or he doesn’t.”
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Benitez, who was stunned by United’s refusal to sell Heinze to the Reds, said: “It’s clear that he is a player we like and he is a very good player.”
“That’s why they don’t want him to come to us. We made an offer that they rejected. The lawyers are working on it now and that’s why we have to wait and see.”
Then it came to light that Crystal Palace were given the opportunity to buy Heinze and then immediately send him to Liverpool, where they would receive one million pounds in compensation for their trouble.
The Pitch Prospect presenter and former Eagles chairman Simon Jordan revealed in his diary Be careful what you wish for that Phil Alexander, the club’s CEO, was contacted by a certain James Green, who claimed to represent a South American agency called Soccer SA.
He wrote: “The gist of the conversation was that this agent wanted Crystal Palace to buy Gabriel Heinze from Manchester United and then immediately sell him on to Liverpool.”
Jordan added: “My position was that we were not going to get involved in any way and I told Alexander to contact David Gill, the chief executive of Manchester United, and tell him about these attempted schemes, which he did.”
“Of course, I took the opportunity to tell Phil Gill that we want them to remember the favour.
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“The result was that there was an ongoing dispute in the Premier League between Heinze and United and we were obliged to provide evidence. This strange and opaque matter was then clarified by others.”
Evidence from the meeting was later used at the hearing, which United won.
After his attempt to join Anfield failed, Heinze told the Daily Mail: “My fight is for the freedom to negotiate with any club.”
“United never wanted me to go to one of the big clubs, but this anti-Liverpool clause is unbelievable.”
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Liverpool had expected Heinze to appeal the decision, but that did not happen as United accepted an offer from Real Madrid.
When he realized that his dream transfer was no longer possible, he joined the Royal Club and helped the Spaniards win the La Liga title in his first season.
Heinze, who won the Premier League in 2007, later spoke of his regret at forcing a move to United’s rivals and stressed that he hoped fans would continue to be positive towards him given his performances in the club’s shirt.
The answer was clear when Heinze returned to Old Trafford with Marseille in the Champions League in 2011.
Chants of “You Scouse bitch!” rang out through the Theatre of Dreams, showing that United’s loyal supporters had neither forgiven nor forgotten his actions.
It was a sad end to a great career and even the player regretted how things ended.
“I don’t regret much from my career as a footballer, but this episode with Ferguson [has] to be one of them,” he said ahead of the European Cup clash. “I am impulsive and strong-willed and that has sometimes got me into trouble, like when I left United.
“I spent three years in Manchester and had some great moments there and I regret [leaving the club] a lot. I am a strong personality, Sir Alex is a strong personality. I made the decision and looking back I regret it because I left a great club and its fans. I was aware of the rivalry [with Liverpool]I knew the risk of moving from Manchester to Liverpool. I hope it doesn’t cloud the way they [the supporters] When they see me, they will remember the three years I had on the team.”
It has been 17 years since the transfer saga and no player from either side has dared to bridge the gap. It has even given subsequent managers pause for thought, with Jürgen Klopp once saying he was rejecting the idea of a Zlatan Ibrahimovic transfer due to his short stint in Manchester.
Gerrard’s father once scolded him for daring to wear a United shirt, the shirt his childhood football hero, Bryan Robson, played for.
The front lines are made clear to everyone.