After years of occupying the same stage on the field, Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand are doing exactly that in the Punditry box – and there is verbal sparring in abundance.
Ferdinand is this week in the Jamie Carragher Africa Cup of Nations Row robes by accusing his old English teammate of having an 'ignorant thinking process'.
Carragher, who had suggested Afcon, is not a 'big tournament', hit back by labeling the old Manchester United Guardian a 'clown' that 'plays to the gallery'.
This last episode in their relationship follows a benign tradition in the years of the two poking at each other about their different opinions about the beautiful game.
Carragher has cheerfully mocked his former rival over the years, while Ferdinand has accused him of 'lack of respect', especially when it comes to Manchester United.
Over the years, Mail Sport looks back on some of their words of words – although it all has to be firmly taken in the cheek with tongue.
'Carrick is at the wheel'
One of Ferdinand's permanent impressions as an expert will explain to him that 'Ole's at the Wheel' in 2019.
The Red Devil legend was so impressed by the interim spell of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford that he called on the club to 'write him what he wants' for a lucrative permanent contract.
In the end, Solskjaer never fulfilled that interim spell, so he won 14 out of 19 games and in November 2021 he was fired.
And Carragher kept Ferdinand to remind us of his misguided support that same month when Michael Carrick won his first interim match 2-0 against Villarreal.
'Man United may not thank me, but take the contract out, put it on the table, let him sign it, let him write the songs he wants to put on there, seen what he has done since he comes in and let him sign the contract and sign and sign and sign and sign and sign and sign and Go, “he wrote on X and imitated the words of Ferdinand.
'Ole is on the wheel, man – he does his thing. Man United is back! '
An angel. And Man United has hardly been back since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013.
Casemiro 'Disrespect'
Ferdinand hit back in Carragher in September last year after the Liverpudlian Casemiro had focused with a particularly hard attack.
Carragher destroyed the Brazlian midfielder after Liverpool United had made 3-0 and had delivered a now notorious expression in May 2024: “Leave football before football left your football.” In other words, pack your bags and retreat to a small football nation.
Ferdinand could hardly believe his ears and jumped to the defense of the invested Red Devil in September when he was under fire again.
Ferdinand vented over his counterpart on his Rio Presents -Show, Ferdinand: “I heard Jamie Carragher say:” Leave football before the football leaves you “and I just think that is very disrespectful.
'I just think it is really disrespectful, because especially considering my husband [Casemiro] Won, there is more going on than he has just made a few mistakes.
'If you watch the two games for Liverpool, he might have been the best player of Man United. I think it is easier to say he is gone, he is ready, he is too old, “he added.
Carra: Ferdinand De 'Clown' has betrayed the Union of the Defenders!
Perhaps Carragher has an ax to grind with the clown community, because he does not hesitate to use them as an insult!
In May 2023, Ferdinand was on the receiving side of the joke when he expressed his opinion about a penalty call during the semi-final collision of Inter Milan's Champions League with Rivals AC Milan. Lautaro Martinez had fallen, but the decision was destroyed after a check – but Ferdinand thought it was a 'Stonewall' penalty.
Carragher had nothing and felt that Ferdinand had betrayed the Defedners' Union.
“I think someone who keeps an eye on the repetition and sees what VAR does and still believes that it is a fine, they must be a clown,” he said.
'It's just when players in my position those defenders are, English defenders who comment on the game …
“As a defender we have to stay together, not we and I just felt that people were dragged a bit.”
Micah Richards then said 'name names' to which Carragher answered:' Rio Ferdinand. I am happy to call him a clown! '
Rio: “Carragher wore my boots for England!”
Just a few days after Carragher Ferdinand set fire to his Penalty Prattling, Rio broke back with a hilarious revelation about their time to play for England.
He said to his five show: 'Every time I see him, it is all love man. I am a loving man, we hug and we shake hands and laugh a little.
“I don't understand why he came in with hostility, it's a hostile energy and I don't understand. He has been to our show, we see each other and it's all cool. He wore my boots when we were at England, he always showed me love.
'It was the thing that could have been [Premier League] Hall of Fame Week, that's all I can think of because I and he are cool. We chat, sometimes text, I just don't get it man. I only have good energy for him.
“He always reports me, that's what I say, it's madness for me. He always reports to me, we have been together in England teams, as I said he is wearing my boots. He has always shown me love.
'I don't know where that energy comes from and that is all I want him to tell me where that energy comes from. Is it real energy or not? I have to know when I see him, I'll ask him. '
After that subtle offensive, Carragher pricked back and responded with a meme from Richard tests in which the presenter says: “Please, it was just a chat.”
Ferdinand empty plates CARRIJFHER at Etihad
Perhaps on the proof of this episode there is room for peace in the persistent fight of this pair.
Ferdinand had fans in stitches at the back of the 2022-23 season when he wore Carragher in the Etihad for the 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid van City.
He was filmed with the approaching of CBS Sports' Panel by Micah Richards, Thierry Henry and Carragher just past the touchline of where he did Punditry work with BT Sport.
After embracing Richards, Ferdinand can be deliberately seen by Carragher – who is left with a big smile on his face – while Henry greeted the former defender.
It seemed that Rio was not willing to forgive Carragher for burning him a 'clown' about his fine the week before.
But after a few tense seconds, Ferdinand and Carragher buried the ax by shaking hands and laughing together before hugging.
Maybe there is love between them.
Carragher: Rio is a Ronaldo -Fan boy!
Carragher Motted Ferdinand in 2022 with a wilting remark, which suggested that he was nothing more than a Stan by Cristiano Ronaldo.
When Ronaldo's time ended up in Old Trafford in 2022, Erik ten Hag left the legend from the Manchester Derby.
On the Monday morning, Carragher tweeted about the decision of ten Hag not to play the attacker, and said that the claim that the Dutchman had it wrong, so that he was omitted for the 6-3 assault was 'laughable'.
Ferdinand replied and asked if Carragher was still irritated, Ronaldo did not recently shook his hand at Old Trafford during a Sky broadcast, before Carragher replied that Ferdinand called Ronaldo a 'fan boy'.
Carragher originally claimed that 'Rashford's pace was on the counterattack' 'the way oo go' in the game, referring to the 4-0 defeat of United by Brentford earlier in the season, in which Ronaldo played.
Ferdinand replied: 'Carra you are still upset, he did not shook you [sic] Hand at Old Trafford? The most difficult thing to do in football is scoring goals … 'accompanied by a video of the former United Defender who defends his former teammate.
Carragher seemed to take offense in the comment, broke to Ferdinand and accused him of sucking the attacker.
“No, I'm glad it went viral!” Said Carragher in response to Ferdinand's remark about shaking Ronaldo's hand.
'Rio I know how it works, he is your size and you/evra & the rest are on the WhatsApp group and he asks you to come out and defend him.
“Don't be his fan boy, you're Rio Ferdinand for FFS !!”
Ferdinand then replied: 'Which WhatsApp group?! Leave the boy away … I want the same energy with Roy Keane when you [sic] Next in the Studio FFS. Stop being bullied. '
AFCON FEUD
And so we arrive on the current day, with Carragher and Ferdinand again at Loggerheads, this time about the Africa Cup of Nations.
Carragher was called live on Sky Sports by Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge when he suggested that Mohamed Salah is usually disadvantaged in the Ballon d'Or Race by his inability to challenge for an 'important' international tournament. That is, they don't have a chance to win the World Cup, and Afcon is not 'major', in Carragher's eyes.
Ferdinand weighed and said: 'I think [what he said] Is representative of most people there are. But I don't think that's right. It is an ignorant thinking process.
“I understand what Jamie says, but I don't agree. That is the fault of the majority and it is not true. I think the federations such as FIFA should ensure that they implement language around finish, so that it is equal to the euros and the Copa America.
“Jamie is right in what he says. If Salah won Afcon, that would not have an influence on the Ballon d'Or, which is absolutely wrong. '
However, Carragher was not happy with the recording of the former United Defender.
“I didn't say you clown,” Carragher commented on the Instagram post of his former rival who discussed the subject. “Stop playing in the gallery as you always do.”
Comments