Manchester United’s legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson is set to step down from his role as the club’s ambassador. His former ward Eric Cantona has criticized the decision, accusing the new ownership of showing a ‘lack of respect’ towards the Scotsman.
Ferguson is undeniably Manchester United’s most successful manager, having led the club for 26 years and winning a total of 38 trophies, including a record 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League titles. Since his retirement in 2013, he has served as both a global ambassador and a club director.
The 82-year-old reportedly receives £2.16 million annually for his role as a global ambassador, but the new ownership under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group has decided to terminate his role as part of a cost-cutting strategy aimed at redirecting funds towards team investment.
Cantona, who played for five years under Ferguson and won the Premier League four times, expressed his disapproval of the decision. He believes that his former manager should be able to choose any role he wishes at the club, given the immense success he brought to the Red Devils.
“Sir Alex Ferguson should be able to do anything he wants at the club until the day he dies. Such a lack of respect. It’s totally scandalous. Sir Alex Ferguson will be my boss forever. And I throw them all in a big bag of sh*t!,” he wrote on Instagram (via CenterDevils on X)
Reports indicate that the decision was made after conversations between Ferguson and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe last week. Despite his role being eliminated at the club level, the Scot is expected to retain the title of “non-executive director” and will remain welcome at the club.
Ex-Manchester United star weighs in on Erik ten Hag’s future
The Manchester United board reportedly met last week to discuss several key decisions. While Ferguson’s removal was potentially on the agenda, the primary focus was expected to be Erik ten Hag’s future.
United are currently 14th in the Premier League and have failed to win any of their last five matches across all competitions. Ten Hag has been under pressure since the start of the season, with his position at the club increasingly uncertain following a string of disappointing results.
However, their most recent match against Aston Villa, which ended in a goalless draw, showed slight improvement over previous performances. Former United defender Gary Neville believes that this may have bought the Dutchman some time.
“It’s a small step forward. Before the game, if you offered any Man Utd fan, player or coach a draw, then they would have snapped your hand off. That’s where, at the end of the game when you see Erik ten Hag’s interview, there’s an element of relief because it keeps the wolves at bay for a couple of weeks at least. It gives them a little bit more time,” Neville said after United’s game against Aston Villa (via Sky Sports)
The coming weeks are critical for both Ten Hag and the club. They are scheduled to host Brentford on Saturday, October 19, followed by a challenging Europa League clash against Fenerbahce.
