Sir Alex Ferguson will return to the touchline this weekend as the former Manchester United manager takes on a coaching role in a farewell match for Giuseppe Rossi
Legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is set to make a shock comeback on the touchline this weekend.
Despite retiring in 2013, Ferguson has continued to make guest appearances and the iconic Scot will be one of the managers at Giuseppe Rossi’s farewell game at Stadio Franchi in Florence this Saturday.
Retiring in 2023 after an illustrious career across Europe’s top leagues, Rossi will be honoured with several footballing greats, including Luca Toni, Antonio Cassano, and Gabriel Omar Batistuta, taking to the pitch in Italy for the tribute match.
But it’s not only the players who are eager to join in, as Rossi announced that Ferguson will step onto the touchline once more. He revealed: “Ferguson will be there as a coach. He was my first coach, I signed when I was 17.
“I only did three years with him and played little, but he immediately said yes and this shows what kind of person he is. I did little at United but he treats me like Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 1000 goals.”
The 83-year-old has continued to be a regular at Old Trafford, with him spotted in the stands at home games. His appearance at commemorative games isn’t new either after he managed the Red Devils’ treble reunion match in 2019 and in Michael Carrick’s testimonial.
Ferguson saw his contract as a global ambassador for United terminated by INEOS as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures. In the role, which reportedly earned him £2.16million annually, Ferguson served as a director on the board and played a prominent role behind the scenes.
However, Ratcliffe didn’t believe that Ferguson, along with several others, should retain their positions at a time when the Red Devils are keen to reduce their expenses.