Sir Alex Ferguson made his ‘biggest mistake’ during his trophy-laden 26 years at Manchester United at a petrol station following a major bust-up with one of his stars
Sir Alex Ferguson’s trophy-laden 26 years at Manchester United weren’t packed with many mistakes, but the legendary Scot has always admitted one of his biggest errors to date.
Dutch giant Jaap Stam was regarded as one of the best centre-backs in world football at the turn of the century and was a colossus at the heart of the Red Devils’ defence. However, Stam and Ferguson endured one huge bust-up and the defender was soon shipped out and on his way to Lazio in the Serie A after just three years at Old Trafford.
Stam broke the trust of Ferguson, who celebrates his 84th birthday today (December 31), and their relationship came to a head at a petrol station, where the Dutchman’s fate was sealed.
Back in August of that year, the Stam crossed a line following the inclusion of a number of controversial remarks within his autobiography ‘Head to Head’. In addition to suggesting he had been ‘tapped up’ by Ferguson when signing from PSV Eindhoven in 1998, Stam claimed the iconic Scot actively encouraged his United players to dive during matches.
“It’s got to the stage where he has even told us: ‘Don’t try and stay on your feet if you’re in the box and get a slight kick,” Stam spilled. “He wants us to copy other sides we face in European competitions and go down to win a penalty.”
Unsurprisingly, the revelations didn’t go down well with the ruthless Ferguson. In fact, so enraged was the Scot by the whole episode, he left the centre-back out of United’s starting XI for a trip to Aston Villa before swiftly agreeing to offload him to Lazio at the earliest opportunity.
Days before the transfer, tensions came to a head and Stam stormed out of training after making his feelings known to his manager. The fiery Ferguson then tracked the defender down at a petrol station before informing the centre-back his Old Trafford career was over.
“One morning I told him what I thought and left the training ground on the spot,” Stam later revealed. “On the way home I received a phone call in my car from Fergie’s secretary.
“She said that he wanted to speak to me. He came on the phone straightaway. Ferguson said, ‘Where are you?’ I said, ‘Close to my house, at a petrol station.’ Ferguson said, ‘Wait there!’ He jumped in his car and came straight to me.
“At the petrol station he parked his car and got in with me. He told me that I had to be transferred. Then he said, ‘Will you please move to Lazio quickly?’ I agreed to do it. Right there and then.
“One quick conversation in my car at a petrol station in Manchester was enough for me to leave that big club. When I think about it now, and I have never talked about it before, I find it unbelievable I let that, as a player, happen to me.”
Within 24 hours, Stam had travelled to Rome and joined Lazio. Ferguson subsequently placed his faith in the emerging Wes Brown and veteran Laurent Blanc, who was swiftly brought in as Stam’s replacement.
Though United ultimately enjoyed success under Ferguson after the defender was sold, the Red Devils’ dominance was not at the level it once was with Stam in the side. The Dutchman won the Premier League title in each of his three seasons at United while 1999 saw the club claim a historic treble.
Ferguson would later admit his regret at his handling of the Stam affair, confessing he made a mistake in forcing the defender out of the club.
“When I think of disappointments, obviously Jaap Stam was always a disappointment to me,” he said in 2013. “I made a bad decision there.”