Patrice Evra Exclusive Interview - May Insights on Stake

We recently caught up with the French Football Legend and Stake Ambassador Patrice Evra, to discuss all his expert views on the hot test topics dominating the football agenda. Aguero shared his insights and predictions, as well as discussing all things Premier League, Champions League & the upcoming 2026 International Soccer Tournament.

Man Utd

Michael Carrick has got the full-time role as Man United manager - I know you’re a big fan of his, but is there a chance his reign could end up like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s?

No, my reaction is that finally my club understands and wants more consistency. I wouldn't understand if Carrick didn't get the job. I know it's been a lot of people talking against him, for example, saying he doesn’t have the experience or whatever, but you see what's happened with Arteta and other young managers. So for me, he just proved he was the right man at the moment.

Let's see if he will be the right man for the future, and he will have my full support. He had a difficult start, City, Arsenal away, all of these games, and he got nine points in his first three games. Then he drew one game, and some people were starting to be suspicious or whatever. But like I said, I already talked about Michael Carrick, it's not because he's my ex-teammate. I love him, also because he proved he can do it. I can see the attitude of the players, you can see they want to play for him.

I remember in an interview with Lisandro Martinez, he said he wants to die for him, and when you have Argentina players saying that for your manager, it means he’s got the squad under control. You can also mention Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes, how he put them in a different position and the way they’re playing. I know people will ask the question that it could be the same situation as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. I don't care. I prefer to take the risk. I prefer to take the risk because I want my club to stay stable.

That's the problem. Instead of focusing on the present, we always think, maybe this can end negatively. No, be positive. If it happens, it happens. Let Carrick take the job, full control. I think it will be a two-year contract, and let's see. Ole is not the same as Carrick.

I was upset when they sacked Ole. I was the first to be upset, so I will be upset again if they sack Carrick. But for me, getting rid of Ole wasn't the right decision.

How will the pressure of playing a game every three days affect this squad?

That's when we need the support from the club. We need the extra players, the players being on the bench. I said, when the Champions League comes, you need a full squad. When I say a squad, back in the day we could play the A, the B and the C team and it would be the same Man United. So think now, Carrick gets the job, he puts the club where it should be.

Playing the Champions League every year, but you need backup from the owner, from the football director, to get the players he really wants. And you need a big squad, so I don't think the problem is Carrick, it’s more about the club, what they really want to do. Do they just want to play a few games in the Champions League or do they want to try and win it?

Bruno Fernandes is one assist away from breaking Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry’s assist record, it feels like the team are prioritising him reaching that milestone, Man United players wouldn’t have done that in the past, would they?

It's natural. I remember Cristiano Ronaldo was asking to give us the assist and being nice with us, saying ‘please guys’, and having a nice dinner after with him or whatever. But I mean, it's never a nice dinner or lunch with Cristiano. This guy, he only drinks still water. But I understand the player. But after the media made the assist record big, I will understand some reaction from Roy Keano because they are winning people. It's more about the frustration. It's not like I agree with what he said, but I understand both sides. And of course, if I play with Bruno Fernandes and I know he can break the record, I will do my best to help him because now the goal is we have already achieved, we qualified for the Champions League. So definitely in the next game, I will try to pass the ball to Bruno and he can make an assist and break the record.

This is when you love your teammates. But of course, it would never be for the first goal. The first goal was to reach the Champions League. We've got it. Now let's make the achievement shine. The player can have some records this year. That's the way I see it.

Even Roy Keane has come out and said he was raging and cringing at the fact Bruno Fernandes’ record was the main talking point of a Manchester United performance, and that he won’t win trophies if the mentality is to win personal accolades, do you agree?

People may have been surprised with Roy Keano’s comments on Bruno Fernandes but not me. I know him well, where Keano comes from, he’s just a winner and he doesn't care about himself or the player or whatever. He wants the team to win. So I get it, but as a player I will definitely help Bruno to get his record because we achieved the goal, to get qualified in the Champions League.

I respect Keano so much, but I understand him because he's frustrated. He wants to see United winning trophies. He doesn't care about how many assists, how many goals, or whatever because he's prioritising the team. Yes, some people can say he's a little bit harsh about Bruno. Some people can say he's fair, but at the end of the day, I say do both. Win trophies and help my teammate to achieve his personal goal.

Casemiro is departing - who do Man United need to sign to replace him? Elliott Anderson?

I'll be honest with you and it's not because I'm French. I would love to see Eduardo Camaviga or Aurelien Tchouameni replace Casemiro. Tchouameni is such an aggressive player. I don't know if he had a tough time in Real Madrid but to replace Casemiro, I will definitely look for Camavinga or Tchouameni.

In every dressing room, people don't understand that it's a fight every day. Many times, Alex Ferguson had to stop the training session because he was scared we were going to have broken legs. Fights happened in the dressing room, I think we shouldn't look at it that way. We should judge him on the pitch. And actually if they fight, it's because they want to win and someone is not doing the right job. So I prefer to have players like this in my dressing room than having players saying nothing, you know. This is the kind of aggressive and extra mentality I want for Man United.

And Elliott Anderson, we know the rule between English players and English teams. They're not bargains. The price is really high. You see what happened with Harry Maguire. Anderson is a good player. He had a great season. But again, it's a different world, a different history when you play for Man United. He’s played in the Premier League, yes. But you need to understand the pressure is completely different. And that's why I prefer Tchouameni, because the pressure you have to endure at Real Madrid affects you every single day. So he won't have this issue.

Have the recent events at Real Madrid shown that Endrick should avoid returning there and join Man United?

I would love Endrick to join Man United. You can see his long spell in Lyon. He killed it, and now is going to the International Football Tournament. I just love Endrick from the beginning. I was quite surprised why in Real Madrid he didn't have that much playing time. He has the respect over there. But yeah, I would love Endrick to keep having issues at Real Madrid and to be in the market. And I will say, ‘Bienvenue at Manchester United.

People seem quite split on the Marcus Rashford situation - should he stay at Barcelona or come back to Man United? 

I love Marcus Rashford and you know the body language doesn't lie, he's happy now. He wasn’t in Manchester so that the things that you have to prioritise. When you have to work, you have to perform but happiness is really important and for me is what I see when he's in Barcelona. He wants to stay.

I spoke with Marcus, it was maybe six years ago, and he said ‘Patrice, my heart tells me to stay at Man United, but my mind is telling me to go’. He will still be a Mancunian, but he should prioritise his football career and enjoy his football in Barcelona. He should stay there. But, I will also love Marcus to come back to Man United.

As a selfish and personal point of view, don't come back to Man United. Stay where you are happy. I know Marcus’ price will be a daylight robbery for Barcelona, they’re definitely going to pay less than what he is worth.

It’s time to settle the Pep Guardiola vs Sir Alex Ferguson debate, who is better?

It's Ferguson. It's Ferguson at the end. Guardiola, what he achieved, the player he had when he was at Barcelona. I don't want to minimise the work of Guardiola. I think what he did in Man City is just ridiculous. Like how many Premier League titles he has won. But the fact that Ferguson stuck to one club and kept winning, and Ferguson won 13 Premier Leagues. I don't want to debate on that because it’s a different generation. Guardiola came in and Ferguson retired. There are a lot of things, a lot of excuses you can find, but the football world knows the real GOAT is Ferguson. It's not even a top two, it's a top one. Respect the boss, or I call him, and trust me will kick your ass and give you the hairdryer treatment.

Score prediction for Brighton vs Man Utd?

Brighton is a tough game, you know why? Because we have reached the goal of Champions League football, you play Brighton away, they want to win. Any team wants to win their last game at home in front of their fans because after you go around with your family, the kids, so you don't want to lose the last game. Because I remember it happened to us, we were already champions and we lost against West Ham. Ferguson was fuming. We came inside, he was fuming. He was destroying us. Then after that he said, go on the pitch and get your f*****g trophy and celebrate. We were champions like three games in advance and because we lost that last game, the boss was fuming. It's a tough one. I'll be honest, I want Bruno Fernandes to get his assist, I feel a 1-1 draw or 2-1 for Brighton.

Will Bruno get his assist? I think even the chef will give Bruno that assist.

Premier League

Arsenal have won the Premier League - are they no longer the ‘Netflix’ team?

As a Man United fan, you want Arsenal to win the league. You don't want Man City. You don't want Liverpool. Because Arsenal have never been an enemy. They’ve never been a threat to us.

It's also good for the Premier League because imagine Pep Guardiola winning, City have been dominating the Premier League. So actually, I was so happy for Arsenal and you know, I have banter, that's the way I am. Thierry Henry is the guy who showed me, the first time I came to Highbury and watched a Premier League game, that's when I knew I needed to play for Premier League.

People don't understand, I disrespect Arsenal because it's my favourite team to play against. And if you see my record, it's shocking. I think I lost maybe just once against Arsenal in all competitions, so in the Champions League, in cups, in whatever. So I'm really confident, but I love Arsenal. I make the joke, you can't hate your babies, this is banter. Actually, congratulations to them. Congratulations to Mikel Arteta.

I think for me, David Raya is the MVP of Arsenal because I watched some highlights and you don't even realise how many times this goalkeeper makes saves at the key moments. So for me, the best player, I will definitely say Raya.

Did you find their celebrations cringe?

To be honest, I don't care the way Arsenal celebrate because I've been calling them the Netflix team for 20 years. So to be honest, let them celebrate. I don't think it's cringe. I think they should celebrate even more. Not too much because they have a final to play. But no, drinking the Arsenal bottles for me, it's banter. If they drink the bottle and if the players are out with the fans, I love seeing that.

You have banter when they lose, you're happy to laugh at them. And when they win, you need to congratulate them and accept the banter back. I mean, this is normal because you can't have banter with people if some people aren’t ready to accept it. Me, I know people will tell me that every time they see Arsenal, they tag Patrice Evra, that I’m a clown or whatever, you need to accept it is part of the game and I love it.

How do you see the season panning out next year - do Arsenal continue winning now? Or could one of the new managers win the title?

This is the big mistake of people thinking because Pep Guardiola is leaving Man City, they're done. No, because Enzo Maresca was with him. Maresca did a great job at Chelsea. You know, people forget to talk about. Khaldoon, the way he runs Manchester City, it’s clear. Guardiola is a genius, don't get me wrong. But you see, Maresca went to Chelsea, he won trophies. Mikel Arteta went to Arsenal, he brought them the Premier League. So Pep is a genius, but I think with Maresca, Man City can maintain this level. And also you need something new, something fresh. Maresca might be harsher on the players. Maybe he's gonna get more from those players. But this is a big mistake, like people thinking Man City are done because Guardiola left. The structure of the club, I don't see them falling away. I know Khaldoon personally, he won't let this fall happen so easy.

What I say, now Arsenal will play free because the curse, the anxiety is done now, now they are champions, but again, when Arteta was playing good football, people were complaining about them not winning. Now when he plays defensive football scoring from set pieces, people criticise him. And at the end, he wins the trophy. Arteta will choose for the next year whether he will play like the Arsenal DNA, or he will stick to this method and keep winning trophies. Maybe some Arsenal fans won't like the style of play, so he will have to decide.

Arteta has broken the lock. I love Arteta as a player, as a person. I don't see why he will not continue now. Don't forget Arsenal will laugh about Netflix jokes and all of that, but they were always second. To be second every year, it means you're doing a great job and that's the final touch he needed. And he did it this year. We can find any excuse. Man City weren’t consistent or whatever, but he did it. So now he won’t have this extra pressure. But that's why sometimes you need to be careful because you need this extra pressure to win trophies. And without this extra pressure, Arteta could show the fans real football.

I love Massimiliano Allegri. He did a press conference when the journalist said he doesn’t play exciting football, and he replied saying ‘You're not in the circus here. If you want to see entertainment, just pay your ticket and go to the Circus.’

I don't see why Arteta cannot continue winning, especially with the difficulty this season. But don't forget, Man United will be back next season. Liverpool will be back. Man City will be back. Chelsea we never know. So it's going to be tough. I always said if Arsenal didn’t win the league this year, they would never win it. So now, let’s see.

What’s your Champions League final prediction?

My prediction will be like a 2-1 or 3-1 for PSG. That's the way I see it. If Ousmane Dembele is fit, because he came out last game against Paris FC and they lost. If Dembele is fit he will be the man of the match in the final and he will win another Ballon d'Or. I have no doubt about that.

If Paris wins the Champions League and he has a great International Football Tournament, I don't see why Dembele doesn't win the Ballon d'Or back-to-back. It was my prediction. My prediction was PSG, Champions League winner back-to-back, and Dembele, Ballon d'Or back-to-back.

Do you think the likes of Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki should leave Manchester City, now Pep Guardiola is leaving?

Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and the players are faithful to the club. I don't see them leaving, to be honest. I feel like they know Enzo Maresca. The structure of the club is stronger than the manager. This is the case for City. But why Guardiola is leaving? The penalty is coming, all of that. Let's see. Let's see what's going to happen. But if nothing happens, I don't see the fall of City.

Chelsea have appointed Xabi Alonso as manager - how do you see that going?

I’m happy for Chelsea because I love Xabi Alonso and you see what he did at Bayer Leverkusen and at Real Madrid. I couldn't believe how it happened to Madrid. I was so convinced it would work, but he wasn't able to manage different egos or whatsoever and he probably didn't choose to manage Liverpool because of that

He needs to start from zero, not knowing the club, new DNA, all of that. Maybe that's why he also picked Chelsea. But I love the manager and I think Chelsea fans will be happy to have Xabi Alonso.

I just think it's up to the board of Chelsea how they want to deal with the ego of the youngsters. But I think Xabi Alonso will make the player, the young players, he's used to it in Bayer Leverkusen. They're going to play nice football. I don't see him not doing well at Chelsea. I would be really surprised. I don't think the ego issue would be an issue for him.

What happens with Cole Palmer now? Does he need a move elsewhere?

Let’s not forget, Cole Palmer has been injured a lot. Cole Palmer doesn't need any manager to get back to his best. injuries are not easy to recover from. Sometimes some players get injured and they get one year or two years to get back to their level. But knowing Xabi Alonso and him accepting the job, I wouldn't be surprised if Cole Palmer is shining again at Chelsea.

Should Cole Palmer skip the International Football Tournament to recover from his injuries? It's also difficult to refuse to play for your country. As a Frenchman, I would be happy if Cole Palmer doesn't go. England will be less dangerous. He has to take care of himself.

I played more than 900 professional games. And if you ask me, how many games I played where I was 100% fit. I will tell you maybe five or six games, because you always have a knock. You always hear Thieery Henry say the same and it's the truth. And people don't know because in training, you can receive a knock.

For Palmer and his family, of course, it's beautiful. They go to the International Football Tournament. But if you really need to do that surgery and go back to his best, yeah, it will be better for him to stay home.

Have Liverpool lost a massive opportunity to bring in a club legend like Xabi Alonso for next season? 

People forgot, after Jurgen Klopp left, Arne Slot took charge and he won the league, but people forget the players they lost.

Luiz Diaz for me is the one I never understand why Liverpool let him go to Bayern. The person behind the transfer, Luiz Diaz, should not even work at Liverpool anymore. Trent Alexander-Arnold, the situation with Mohamed Salah. I think Liverpool have to deal with a lot, especially with Slot. I hope they're going to qualify for the Champions League, even if I'm a Man United legend.

I don't know if they missed out on Xabi Alonso because nobody knows if he would be a success. It didn't work when he went back home to Madrid. People are a little bit harsh, you see what happened with Ferguson. For 26 years, we were winning everything. Then you bring a new manager and it's difficult to replace them. Like with Klopp. It's difficult. Every manager that comes after Klopp, if they don't win, they're going to get destroyed.

For me, Liverpool should stick with Arne Slot.

What do you make of the civil war between Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot? Has Salah left the club in a bad way?

I would mention, one player Liverpool don’t have anymore is Jordan Henderson, they don't have those kinds of players anymore. Yeah, people want to play electric football, but you don't have those players anymore and the fans need to face the reality. We had the same problem with Man United and we still didn't manage to get back to our best, apart from Carrick giving us hope. But it's the same issue. You want to replace Jurgen Klopp, but Klopp had the players to do that.

This is a problem between Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot and maybe a lot of frustration. I know people will say you should never talk against your club, but this is what Salah maybe sees. Cristiano Ronaldo was the same, and when he left, everything proved him right. At the end of the day, you prefer players telling exactly what they feel. I know every time they speak to the media, you shouldn't go against your club. But at the end, if you see it that way, Liverpool should make sure that they're going to prove Salag wrong and win the league next year. Then every comment Mohamed Salah said might make him realise he was the problem. But rarely those players are wrong when they come out with those statements.

Salah has left Liverpool in the worst way. This is not Mo Salah, Mo Salah is like Steven Gerrard, they play for this club, so I understand the frustration of the fans but it's done and sometimes it's done in a nice way sometimes, but he's done it in a bad way and that's what has happened with Liverpool and Mo Salah.

Liverpool need a Mohamed Salah replacement - is there anyone? Michael Olise?

I think Vincent Kompany will never let Michael Olise go. Replacing Salah will be tough. You will have to find someone different than Salah because we're talking about a lot of goals, talking about assists, we're talking about a legacy right there.

Maybe Rio Ngumoha will play for the team more often, but it's a difference between coming into the team, as you're new and you can surprise people, but when you have the responsibility to replace a legend like Salah, that’s a lot of pressure. I don't want to put any extra pressure on the kid. I want him to enjoy and play football and don't even think about replacing Salah.

Spurs could be relegated on the final day if they lose to Everton at home, and West Ham beat Leeds. Would that be the biggest shock in Premier League history?

As an ex-West Ham player it will hurt me so much to see West Ham going down but from the beginning and I know a lot of people want Tottenham down, I don't see it happening and now especially with De Zerbi, he will make the difference, they need to lose now, I don't see it happening.

If Tottenham were to get relegated, it would be the biggest shock. Arsenal champions, Tottenham relegated. Do you know how much Arsenal fans are praying right now? I don’t think they even care about winning the league now. For them, this will be the biggest day, bigger than the day they won the Premier League. Forget the Invincibles. If this happens, for Arsenal, this will be the biggest achievement in Arsenal's history.

Europe

Jose Mourinho has returned to Real Madrid to try fix the mess the club are in, can he do it?

I love Jose Mourinho. We talk about a lot of ego, character and Jose loves that. And if you want to play tough or whatever, Jose will make sure you show it on the pitch. And I'm sure if Florentino Perez allowed Mourinho to come back, it's because he's going to give him full power. Those players are younger. Mourinho does well with the senior players, as we saw at Chelsea with Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

He will find his big striker to play up front, and after that he will ask Mbappe and Vinicius to play on the left and the right wings, and won’t want to hear them complain. Jude Bellingham can do the same as Frank Lampard at Chelsea. Mourinho has the opportunity to make a great comeback and he won't miss that opportunity. I think this is good news for Real Madrid. Because if you have an ego problem, it's not like you're putting Mourinho at risk, Mourinho is loved by every team he's managed. Each player loves Jose Mourinho. I've talked with him a few times on the phone and he's a lovely guy. He's strict, he will tell you the truth. You want to play for those kind of managers. And trust me, he won't be afraid to kick some players out if they have a big ego.

I wouldn't clash with Mourinho, I'll be honest with you. I clashed with Ferguson, but always by respect. But Mourinho, I remember Benzema always told me after five minutes, when he it was 0-0 and Benzema was not pressing enough, Mourinho sent Higuain to warm-up and it made him run more. Mourinho knows how to deal with all those three. He will get the best of Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham.

Do you think Kylian Mbappe should stay, despite being booed by the fans and being made a fourth-choice striker by the manager?

We need to leave Mbappe alone. That's the first thing I want to say because he cannot even go on holiday. He's the best scorer. Mbappe needs to change his narrative. Wherever he goes, he scores goals, but the team doesn't win. And it happened with PSG, it’s happening with Real Madrid. So that's a big weight on his shoulders.

Mbappe needs to know he doesn’t need to be the main star, the team needs to be the star. But I think he's smart enough to not carry all this negative press. Imagine your own fans booing you and you have 40 goals. Now Mbappe will know he's not enough. In Madrid, it's never been enough. Cristiano was telling me, sometimes he scored one goal and still got booed by Real Madrd fans. So I'm not surprised. It's two years now they haven’t won anything. This is Madrid. This is not La La Land. They show you they want to win every year, every single year.

International Football Tournament

As a rival supporter, who would you hope England leave behind in the International Football Tournament squad out of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Kobbie Mainoo, or is there someone else?

I would love to leave Kobbie Mainoo behind for Man United, I’m being selfish, so my player can rest. If I want to leave one English player behind to give France an advantage, I want Cole Palmer to be left behind, because he can make the difference. He rarely misses a penalty, he can score goals. That would hurt England most.

Who will win the International Football and who will be the standout player?

France will win the International Football Tournament, I think we have the best squad without any question. But again, the biggest enemy of France is France. And I know Deschamps very well. He will know to manage those egos. Let's see what happens with Mbappe for France, those kind of things don't happen because we have someone like Didier Deschamps. Look at the attack with Dembele, Olise, Cherki, Doue, Mbappe.

I really want Dembele to perform. He can go 100% every game if he's fit. But you've got other players. I can mention Portugal. I don't see why Portugal doesn't win the International Football Tournament. When you look at the squad, every position is just crazy. Last International Football Tournament for Cristiano, Argentina will still be there. I love Spain, they will have Lamine Yamal if he’s fit.

Neymar has been called up to the Brazil squad - how much of a boost is that to the nation?

I’m happy Neymar has made the Brazil squad, it’s good news as a friend. I love the player. I know people criticise his lifestyle, but the joy he can give you on the field, since Ronaldinho, I haven’t seen that. That's why I say for me, Neymar is the last Galactico. He broke Pelé's record. He’s got himself fit and avoided injury playing for Santos. For Carlo Ancelotti, it was a no-brainer. He's different, he has selected Neymar, he leads the whole country. I promise you the players are saying the king is back and that they still have the chance to win the International Football Tournament. Now, what is the role be? Will he accept to be on the bench? It doesn't matter. He made it to the squad. I love Brazil. He deserves it. So I'm really proud of Neymar because I can imagine how many hours he had spent with the physio to get back from injury. It’s been a tough year for him. Thank you Ancelotti for selecting Neymar because he is going to do well. He's going to do well for this country. He's going to give everything.

Is Neymar Brazil’s GOAT?

No, no, no, no, he can't be, he’s not ahead of R9, Romario, Pelé. It’s not about stats, it's about the impact. Don't get me wrong. Neymar has more quality than all of them, but because of the consistency, he can’t be on the same level as them. But he is the last Galactico. Like, if you ask me, the last Galactico is not the player that finishes all of that. The last Galactico for me is Neymar.

Is it unfair that Joao Pedro missed out though?

It's tough, I saw Ancelotti saying he’s sorry for Joao Pedro. You have to think Neymar is in his last International Football Tournament. Joao Pedro will play another International Football Tournament, but it's really painful. It's really painful. I said, on one side you are happy, but also some players that deserve even more and you don't pick them. So Carlo Ancelotti has his own reason. I feel for Joao Pedro because he’s been doing so well and the only thing you can say is, sorry, but the king is back.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are just outside the top 10 for odds to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or. If either wins the International Football Tournament, can you see them winning another one? 

Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo winning the International Football Tournament could be crazy. The fans will get excited. If Messi wins the International Football Tournament, we already know they're going to give him the Ballon d'Or. But if Cristiano wins it, there will still be some argument. But definitely they will be up there to win it.

Would Ronaldo retire if he won the International Football Tournament? He told me scoring 1000 goals is what he’s aiming for. That's his goal. He will achieve it. He's still fit, he's still banging goals. He will keep playing until he reaches 1000 goals. I won't be surprised if he does.