Fine words a mute point for Ferguson

It equals 0.1 per cent of his estimated wealth but the £4,500 fine levied on Sir Alex Ferguson by Uefa may halt the Manchester United manager's propensity to cast aspersions on foreign football.

Uefa's control and disciplinary panel yesterday fined Ferguson 10,000 Swiss francs for implying that the draw for the quarter-finals of the European Cup had been rigged and that Uefa would rather Manchester United did not take part in this month's final at Old Trafford.

After United had been drawn against Real Madrid in a quarter-final tie which they eventually lost 6-5 on aggregate, Ferguson commented: "Real Madrid – they have a nice draw, they must have picked it themselves. The Spanish and Italian teams don't play each other; how do you think they worked that out? They don't want us in the final, that's for sure."

Uefa were angered by the comments and the head of the Austrian FA, Friedrich Stickler, who made the draw was especially incensed. "The whole draw is open and fair, and that makes his words even more ridiculous and unprofessional," Stickler retorted.

This is not the first time Ferguson's tongue has fallen foul of Uefa. He was fined £2,000 following comments made before United's successful European Cup quarter-final with Internazionale in 1999. Told that Ronaldo would be missing from their line-up, Ferguson retorted: "When an Italian tells me it's pasta on the plate, I check under the sauce to make sure it really is." Before United took the field at San Siro, he predicted Inter would be "scheming, diving, referee baiting – the full repertoire."

Two years ago he branded the Dutch nation "arrogant" before a fixture with PSV Eindhoven, but escaped without censure.

Ferguson refused to comment on Uefa's fine at a forum of North-west managers arranged to promote better relations with the media. Midway through the event, four newspapers, as well as various radio stations and the country's major news agency, the Press Association, were told they would not be welcome at United's training headquarters today for the club's weekly press conference. Ferguson was upset they had ridiculed an outburst of his when asked questions about David Beckham.

The United manager will be more worried that Gary Neville will miss the final two matches of the season and may be in doubt for the club's lucrative tour of the United States.

Neville, who has not started a match since United's 4-0 demolition of Liverpool, which triggered the club's dash to the summit of the Premiership, will also be unavailable for England's Euro 2004 qualifier with Slovakia after having surgery to remove a screw fitted into his foot after an injury suffered in last year's European Cup semi-final between United and Bayer Leverkusen.