Freddie Ljungberg has shared his views following Martin Keown’s recent apology to Ruud van Nistelrooy, addressing the infamous clash between Arsenal and Manchester United in 2003. That heated encounter remains one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history, largely due to the confrontational scenes that erupted following Van Nistelrooy’s missed penalty.
At the time, Keown reacted by celebrating exuberantly in the Dutchman’s face, a moment that has been replayed countless times since. While it drew significant attention and criticism, it also became symbolic of the fierce rivalry between the two clubs during that era.
Earlier this season, during a punditry appearance, Keown had an unexpected opportunity to see Van Nistelrooy again. Taking the moment seriously, he offered an apology for his actions during that volatile match. It was a gesture he described as important, allowing him to address an incident from his playing career that he no longer viewed with pride.
However, not all of his former teammates share the same sentiment. Speaking with Keown, Freddie Ljungberg revealed that he would have handled the situation differently. As cited by TNT Sport, Ljungberg explained his position candidly:
“I’ve seen some of your interviews afterwards and you apologised. I would have never apologised for what happened.”
He further added: “When you did that, by the way, I felt – I never said this on TV – but that we stood up for ourselves.”
While it has been over two decades since that confrontation took place, the incident continues to spark debate. For Keown, offering an apology was an act of maturity, a way to move on from a moment he admits does not reflect the kind of sportsmanship he values. His willingness to acknowledge that and make amends speaks volumes about his personal growth.
On the other hand, Ljungberg’s stance is a reminder that perspectives on such moments differ greatly. For some, that confrontation symbolised resilience and unity in the face of adversity. His refusal to apologise reflects a belief that Arsenal’s players were merely standing their ground during an intense rivalry.
Both viewpoints provide insight into how former professionals continue to reflect on defining moments in their careers, shaped by personal values and individual interpretations.
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I don’t blame Freddie for not wanting to apologise, after having being punched in the stomach by horse face during our title winning game at Old Trafford in 2002 !
And Freddie didn’t even get a free kick out of it.
Correct Jax. Also Sky only showed it once, can you imagine how many times they would’ve shown it if one of our players had done it to a Utd player.
Btw, good to see you posting again Jax.
Oh yeah , the season Pires dived to win us a Penalty against Portsmouth?
No, that was two seasons later, duh 🙄
The season Van N misses a penalty ?
I don’t think it was dude lol
The horse face punch on Freddie was the night we won the PL at Old Trafford in May ’02, after horse face came on as a sub.
The dive by Pires was in the Invincible season.
Do keep up chav.
😉
Glad you’re posting Jax
First time I’ve visited in weeks Sue. Thought I’d take a look to check any excitement over later.today.
Jax,
I haven’t crawled up that drainpipe yet.😉👍
Glad to hear that Derek, you’d be a big loss.😉
Steady on Jax,
I wouldn’t go that far. 😂😉👍
Yeah I didn’t read that
I was talking about the game the article refers too
Hence why I asked did Pires dive against Portsmouth then clarified are you talking about the same game that Freddie is talking about lol
Well in future try reading the first post, it will stop you making a fool of yourself 😁
Making a fool out of myself because I read the article and not all the comments lol ?
Very deep lol
Yes, because as I already posted, you didn’t read the first post 😂
I find stuff like this fascinating
So go on ….in your imagination who have I made a fool out of myself too ?
My friends ?
My family ?
My work peers lol ?
Who have I embarrassed myself too because …..wait for it peeps ….I only read the article lol
Who in your world I made a fool out of myself too ?
Some strangers behind a keyboard lol.
Stupendous as usual lol
Quite simple, the people on this article 😁
The strangers ?
Lol
Do you think they care lol
Forgive me if your really young but step back and say it out loud
You think a stranger on a football forum has embarrassed himself because …. I read the article and commented ( correctly ) that the same season Freddie is talking about was the season Pires dived
And you think that’s me making a fool out of myself lol
You take this very seriously don’t you ?
It doesn’t matter if the posters on here are strangers or not. The simple fact is that you wrote a comment on a thread that was about the 2002 season, while your comment was about the Invincible season.
A little bit of advice. Try reading the comments first before joining in with something irrelevant.
Disagree mate
I read an article about the 2003 season so if I choose to comment on that season I will lol
Well start a thread on that season then. Simples…
No most people comment on the article dude lol
I’m disappointed that Martin has apologised, as horseface was one of the worst players using the dark arts – remember how he got Patrick sent off, after climbing all over Patrick and then feigning injury when Patrick reacted?
That game was yet another example of a referee being manure’s twelfth man.
Dan, why on earth do you keep bringing in other examples?
Why not comment on the issue itself?
If I didn’t know better, I’d assume you were a plant for every other club in the PL and part of the PGMOL!!, 🤔
Because the suggestion was that if that Arsenal…… Implying that again that there was an agenda against us ( I assumed he meant the game in article ) so for balanced discussion it’s important to point out to younger Gooners that season Arsenal also cheated and got away it
I can’t pretend that’s all lol