Sir Alex Ferguson Ends His Reign as Manchester United’s Global Ambassador After INEOS Terminate His Contract

INEOS, new part-owners of Manchester United, have decided to end Sir Alex Ferguson’s multi-million-pound ambassadorial contract. This is the latest measure in cost-cutting program spearheaded by Sir Jim Ratcliffe since he took control of footballing decisions at Old Trafford.

Following the end of his managerial career in 2013, Manchester United retained Sir Alex as the club’s global ambassador and club director. Therefore, the Red Devil paid the legendary manager an annual renumeration, which amounted to approximately 2.16-million pounds. This arrangement has stayed in place for more than a decade. But now, INEOS have decided to end Sir Alex’s longstanding association with the club on an ambassadorial level.  

Although Sir Alex’s ambassadorial role has come to an end, he still retains his position as a director on Manchester United's board—a position that has long seemed more symbolic than influential. The board once included club legend Sir Bobby Charlton (before his passing in 2023), former CEO David Gill, and non-executive director Michael Edelson. However, Sir Alex is not part of the club’s main board, which features the six Glazer siblings, INEOS co-owner John Reece, and Rob Nevin, chairman of INEOS Sport, alongside independent directors Robert Leitao and John Hooks. 

INEOS’ move to end Sir Alex Ferguson won’t go down well with the United faithful, who hold the legendary Scottish manager in high regard because of his trophy-laden 27-year stint as United’s boss. Nevertheless, this isn’t the first move from INEOS that has received severe criticism. Earlier in the summer, INEOS decided to lay-off around 250 non-playing employees to cut costs at Old Trafford. However, according to some reports, this economic measure has created little impact on United’s finances. More drastic programs need to be undertaken – case in point Sir Alex’s ambassadorial contract termination – in order to achieve goals, set by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. 

According to the Athletic, Sir Jim Ratcliffe told Sir Alex in a face-to-face meeting that he would no longer receive an annual salary from the club. The discussion was described as “amicable.” The 2.16-million pounds that Sir Alex received annually was more than at least three Premier League managers – including Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Wolves’ Gary O’Neil and Nottingham Forrest’s Nuno Espirito Santo. However, Manchester United’s financial struggles won’t miraculously subside after Sir Alex’s contract termination. They still pay almost 23 senior team players more than what Sir Alex used to earn. Although Sir Alex Ferguson’s role as the club’s ambassador has ended, he is more than welcome to attend Manchester United’s home games. However, it remains uncertain whether he will continue to be a regular presence at matches moving forward.