Manchester United icon Eric Cantona has emphatically hit out at the club hierarchy’s controversial decision to end Sir Alex Ferguson’s lucrative ambassadorial role.
Ferguson brought Cantona to Old Trafford in 1992, building his team around the outspoken Frenchman to win the inaugural Premier League title that season, concluding United’s 26-year wait for a top-flight crown.
Ferguson would end his legendary stay in Manchester with an unrivalled tally of 13 Premier League titles and a reputation as arguably the best manager of all time.
A matter of months after he stepped down as manager in 2013, Ferguson was made a global ambassador for the club, collecting an annual salary of £2.16m for a largely ceremonial role.
In a continuation of the cost-cutting measures that have been applied by INEOS since Sir Jim Ratcliffe confirmed his 27.7% stake in the club, no more payments will be made to Ferguson beyond the end of this season.
Cantona did not take the news well. “Sir Alex Ferguson should be able to do anything he wants at the club until the day he dies,” the former forward wrote on Instagram”.
“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***!”
Ratcliffe informed Ferguson of the decision in a face-to-face meeting, which was described as “amicable”.
In the first few months after Ratcliffe’s minority investment, Cantona expressed an interest in coming back to the club in some form.
The Frenchman was full of praise for the British billionaire, saying:”For sure with Jim Ratcliffe I think we come back as the best. The way you drive the club is important”.
“Ratcliffe, who is a fan of United since forever, is a great businessman of course, but is also very passionate about sport.”
What we know
- Ferguson has received a seven-digit salary for his role as Man Utd’s global ambassador for more than a decade
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe ended Ferguson’s lucrative position on Tuesday
- Cantona called the decision ‘scandalous’ in an expletive social media post.