Why have Manchester United ‘sacked’ Sir Alex Ferguson?

After almost four decades, the Premier League behemoth is terminating the legend’s contract as an ambassador and club director for a very simple reason.

Sir Alex Ferguson has ended his contractual relationship with Manchester United after 40 years. INEOS, the new co-owner of the club, has decided to no longer retain him in his role as the club’s ambassador due to its cost-cutting program. According to The Athletic, this brings an end to a multi-million-euro annual commitment with the most successful manager in the club’s history.

United with Ferguson we don’t stand

After stepping down as manager in 2013, concluding a 26-year reign during which he won 38 trophies, Ferguson was kept on as a global ambassador and director of the club. Despite changes in the club’s structure, Ferguson remained on the United board, alongside figures such as Sir Bobby Charlton (before his passing in 2023), former CEO David Gill, and non-executive director Michael Edelson. However, Ferguson was not part of the official club board, which includes the six Glazer siblings, INEOS co-owner John Reece, INEOS Sport chairman Rob Nevin, and two independent directors, Robert Leitao and John Hooks.

As reported by The Athletic, the only official reference to Ferguson’s salary as the club’s ambassador can be found in the 2014 accounts under related party transactions. These documents reveal that on October 17, 2013, United signed Ferguson as a global ambassador, paying him nearly 3 million euros for his services—a deal that lasted for over a decade and has now come to an end.