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There are certain moments in any player’s career that they will simply never forget - for better or for worse.
Former Manchester United and Portugal star Nani won four Premier Leagues, the Champions League and the European Championship during his career, but there is one medal that he did not win that continues to rankle with him.
This came on May 13, 2012, when Sergio Aguero’s iconic last-gasp goal for Manchester City saw the Red Devils’ rivals snatch the title away the most dramatic fashion possible.
Nani on losing the 2011/12 title to Manchester City
“Losing at the Etihad with three games to go was the first mistake,” Nani recalls to FourFourTwo when asked what went wrong that season.
“Instead of finishing the job, we gave them hope. We allowed them to believe they could still do it. On the final day, we beat Sunderland 1-0 but it wasn’t enough.
“Our match finished before City’s and we were all standing on the pitch at the Stadium of Light, when the news arrived of Sergio Aguero’s winner against QPR. That killed us. Even though it had been a very good season overall, losing the Premier League in that way was a huge blow and difficult to recover from.
“The dressing room was devastated – not only because we’d missed out on the title, but also because of the manner of it. We would rather have lost by several points. When you know you could have scored one more goal somewhere along the way and won the title, that becomes a bitter feeling that follows you for life.”
Another dark moment for the Portuguese came when he was issued a controversial red card for a high foot against Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2013.
“I felt huge frustration,” Nani says. “I’ve never been able to understand such an unfair decision – the referee ruined the tie, because I’m convinced we wouldn’t have lost if I hadn’t been sent off. Up to that point, we were playing well – I’d won the ball off Raphael Varane and helped create the move that put us ahead.
“Neither Kaka nor Cristiano had produced anything decisive, until my red card. With one man less, Real grew into the game and turned it around. Even Jose Mourinho admitted I shouldn’t have been sent off, and that it was an excessive call that changed everything.”
Sir Alex Ferguson appeared to be especially devastated by that defeat, which came two months before he announced he would be retiring.
“He was broken, he barely spoke,” Nani reflects. “Normally, whenever there was an injustice, he’d protest and make himself heard, but not that night. He was sad, his spirits low.
“I don’t think I’d ever seen him like that before at Old Trafford.”
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