Not only could he have left for Madrid - Ferguson also wanted Totti!

Manchester United and Roma face up for place in the Europa League final in a clash that is reminiscent of the encounter in the Champions League quarter-finals of the 2005/06 season.

Looking ahead to Thursday's encounter, 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' chatted with Sir Alex Ferguson, who remembered not only that knock-out match but also his attempts at signing Francesco Totti.

The Italian was close to joining Real Madrid, but the interest of the 'Red Devils' has been unknown until now. "We liked him a lot and we would have loved to have had him in our squad, but when we showed our interest it immediately became clear that Totti didn't want to leave Roma", he explained.

"He was deeply attached to his city. His career has made that clear - he has only even worn the Roma shirt", Ferguson concluded.

The Scot added a final touch to the memory of that 7-1 win in 2006. "I immediately had the feeling that I was living one of those nights. We reached a level of such perfection, it was a huge satisfaction and a privilege to watch."