Veron rates Eriksson over Ferguson

Manchester United midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron prefers Sven-Goran Eriksson’s management style to that of his club boss Alex Ferguson.

Veron, who will star for Argentina against England during this summer’s World Cup, has played under both Eriksson and Ferguson.

Eriksson, the current England manager, signed Veron for Sampdoria from Boca Juniors in 1996 and the pair were reunited three years later at Lazio, where they won the club’s first title in 26 years.

Ferguson paid £28.m (€44.5m) to take Veron to Old Trafford, but Veron prefers Eriksson’s friendly approach to Ferguson’s ‘‘strong words’’.

‘‘Eriksson is the same person in the dressing room as outside,’’ Veron told The Sun.

‘‘Ferguson will challenge the team with strong words, which is not Eriksson’s way. For me, the best coach is the one who is best at building his relationship with his players, so they feel at ease and supported.

‘‘You need more than just a coach, you also need a friend, to perform to the best of your ability. There aren’t many like that, but it is the mark of Eriksson.’’

Certainly Eriksson played a key role in Veron’s development when the player made the decision to leave South America.

‘‘Eriksson was very important to me - almost like a father figure - when I first came to Europe,’’ said Veron.

‘‘I had to live on my own for the first time. Sven was a big help during that period. For the first six months he protected me.

‘‘I wasn’t having a good time on the field and he provided a calmness for me.’’