Sir Alex Ferguson Asked Not To Enter Manchester United Dressing Room, Says Report

Sir Alex Ferguson and the other members of the Manchester United board have reportedly been banned from visiting the dressing room. It had been a tradition at Old Trafford since the Sir Matt Busby era. The club’s new part-owner INEOS seems to have modified the rule. According to a report by Daily Mail, Ferguson will no longer be allowed to enter the inner sanctum after matches, as per the new policy. The Manchester United hierarchy claims that there is now a “collective understanding” about who is allowed inside the changing room. They, however, deny that the former boss has been banned from it.

Ferguson remains the most successful manager in the history of Manchester United. He had been at the helm for 26 years and won as many as 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, five FA Cups and four League Cups.

After announcing his retirement as the manager in 2013, Ferguson was appointed as the global ambassador of the club and its director. He reportedly earned a multi-million-pound fee each year for serving the roles. Ferguson has often been seen watching matches from the director’s box at Old Trafford along with his fellow board members.

INEOS, however, recently axed Ferguson from his role in a cost-cutting strategy. The new owner is understood to be willing to invest money in the development of the team. He will continue to serve as the ambassador till the end of this season.

Since INEOS took charge of the club’s football operations, acquiring a quarter stake in the club, they have taken some bold decisions to reshape the internal working procedure. As many as 250 redundancies have been made across departments. Ferguson recently met INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Old Trafford to discuss the changes.

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona criticised INEOS’ decision through a social media post. “Sir Alex Ferguson should be able to do anything he wants at the club until the day he dies. Such a lack of respect. It’s totally scandalous. Sir Alex Ferguson will be my boss forever! And I throw them all in a big bag of s***,” the former French footballer wrote on Instagram.

Manchester United are currently placed 14th in the Premier League standings. They have managed two wins in seven matches so far this season. They will next face Brentford on Saturday, October 19.