Ferguson: Berbatov did not rejoice that in the final I registered Owen, not him © EuroFootball.com

Strategist Sir Alex Ferguson admits that the productive team footballer Dimitar Berbatov was far from pleased to learn that he would not even be registered for the Champions League final match.

The Manchester team lost 1-3, and Ferguson's decision was to have Michael Owen on the bench instead of Berbatov.

"Of course, it was not easy for Berbatov to accept this decision," the Scot said. "It wasn't difficult to select the starting eleven, but with substitutions, the task becomes more complicated.

"I wanted to have as many safe options on the bench as possible, because I thought it would be the most crucial position. I chose only one defender Chris Smalling, and I chose the striker between Owen and Berbatov. I decided that Owen's experience could be useful in the final minutes."

However, Owen did not appear on the field, even though Manchester United lost 1-3.

Ferguson also denied rumors that Berbatov was so angry that he even left the stadium: "After the match, he was in the dressing room."