Sir Alex Ferguson has shared his reasons for leaving Manchester United, revealing that his primary motivation for stepping down was to support his wife after her sister passed away.
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Ferguson’s remarkable 26-year tenure as manager of the Red Devils ended in 2013 when he resigned and retired from football management…Continue Reading
During his time at Old Trafford, the iconic Scotsman achieved unparalleled success, winning more trophies than any manager in football history, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League victories.
Since Ferguson’s retirement over a decade ago, Manchester United has experienced a significant decline and currently sits 14th in the Premier League under struggling manager Erik ten Hag.
Ferguson’s final achievement as United manager was winning the Premier League in May 2013, though he had already made the decision to retire the previous Christmas.
At 82, he recently revealed that he informed his wife Cathy of his decision to step down to support her after the loss of her sister.
Speaking to his compatriot Ally McCoist on a TNT Sports podcast, Ferguson said: ‘Well, Cathy’s sister died in the previous October and she [Cathy] was lost. She was definitely lost.
‘So at Christmas I said to her, “Look, I’m going to retire at the end of the season”. And I knew by her reaction that she was delighted because she was on her own.
‘She had given her life to me, everything to me. [She was] looking after me because of my job… bringing the kids up. When I said I was going to retire, she was delighted and I knew that. I could tell by her body language.
‘I always said when I got to January – what I did every January 1st, every year I wrote down our games and our opponents games and wrote down where points could be won or lost.
‘I put us down to win [the league] by 10 points. The team was playing really well and I thought we’d do that. I think it was 11 points in the end.
‘They did really well, the team did really well and [Robin] Van Persie was fantastic – his goals, his thrust in the game, his power and confidence.
‘My record was fantastic but what made me was losing games. If I lost a cup final – and I lost a few of them – I could go through every minute of those games and see how we lost.’
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Ferguson would step down from his current position at Manchester United at the end of the season as part of a cost-cutting effort.
Reports suggest he has been earning over £2 million annually since 2014.
Former United player Eric Cantona slammed the decision, saying: ‘Sir Alex Ferguson should be able to do anything he wants at the club until the day he dies. Such a lack of respect.’
Rio Ferdinand added: ‘If Sir Alex can be taken out, then NO ONE IS SAFE at Manchester United – anyone can get it now.’
