Manchester United's legendary helmsman Ferguson has doubled up as a club director and global ambassador since hanging up his boots. But that dual role will come to an end this season. Newly-promoted shareholder Ratcliffe is said to have taken radical cutbacks since taking over the team. In an effort to tighten the purse strings, he recently targeted Lord Ferguson. Ferguson's global ambassadorship is coming to an end this season. Although many were paid £2.16 million (about HK$21.6 million) a year for the position, many netizens believe such a loss is too much.
The fact that Manchester United is still known as the "Red Devils" is largely due to the brilliant contributions of Alex Ferguson. Even after years of retirement, Ferguson is still a symbolic figure of Manchester United. Therefore, the Glasha family is willing to give him a generous package. Ferguson himself is well aware that, as a global ambassador and director, he rarely meddles in the specific affairs of the team, ensuring that every member has peace of mind. However, Ratcliffe's takeover actually posed a bit of a shock to Ferguson.
Ratcliffe is rumored to have had a frank conversation with Ferguson and resolved the dispute peacefully. Ferguson eventually resigned as global ambassador, stopping his £2.16 million a year salary, but retained his position as a non-executive director and was still able to watch every game.
Ratcliffe made drastic cuts at the beginning of his takeover of the team. A source close to Ferguson revealed that Ferguson was extremely saddened to witness the layoffs of many of his old colleagues as well as the loss of their jobs. It is estimated that he himself may have been included in the layoffs.
