Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, 82, is clear to see out the rest of the season as the club’s global ambassador after multi-million pound deal with INEOS is terminated. Sir Alex, appointed a club ambassador following his retirement from the club in 2013, was paid £2.16 million per year for his work.
One club source described the departure as amicable, with Ferguson scaling back his hugely time-consuming commitments, although he remains welcome at Old Trafford. Now 80, he has been a ubiquitous figure in the director’s box for two decades and more, watching over the club’s fortunes from afar.
The decision comes amidst widespread job cuts at United as part of cost-saving measures, with the club battling financial losses. United’s current poor form adds to the pressure, as they sit 14th in the Premier League following a disappointing eighth-place finish last season, despite a significant £200 million outlay on new players in the summer.
Ferguson, who won 38 trophies with United, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League victories, will officially step down from his ambassadorial role later this year. Yet to be seen is whether other United ambassadors such as Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, and Bryan Robson would also be victims of the cost-cutting measure.
