7 defining moments
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As a player, Alex Ferguson enjoyed a moderately successful career. A prolific striker, he scored 170 goals in 317 appearances including 25 goals in 41 appearances for Glasgow Rangers.
Ferguson was appointed manager of Aberdeen in 1978. In addition to three Scottish First Division titles, Ferguson guided the club to an impressive triumph over Real Madrid in the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Ferguson was assistant to Scotland coach Jock Stein during the qualifying campaign for the 1986 World Cup. Scotland secured a 1-1 draw against Wales in their final game to reach the tournament, but Stein collapsed and died following the final whistle in Cardiff.
A late winner from substitute Mark Robbins in an FA Cup replay against Nottingham Forest in January 1990 allegedly spared Ferguson the sack. United went on to beat Crystal Palace at the second attempt in the final, giving Ferguson his first trophy at Old Trafford.
The Scot originally planned to retire from management at the end of the 2001-02 season. But, after helping the team recover from a slip in form which saw them drop as low as ninth in the Premier League table, Ferguson reversed his decision in February 2002 and signed a new three-year contract.
A boot flew into the face of Manchester United’s star midfielder David Beckham after Ferguson lost his temper following a 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Arsenal in February 2003. Beckham had to be held back following the incident and he joined Real Madrid ahead of the following season.
Ferguson’s finest hour arrived in Barcelona in May 1999, when his United team came from 1-0 down in the 90th minute to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the European Champions League final. The win completed an historic treble of titles won during the 1998-99 season, which included the Premier League title and the FA Cup.
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(CNN) — From a 2-0 defeat at Oxford United on November 6, 1986 to a English Premier League coronation party through the streets of Manchester on May 13.
Alex Ferguson’s 26-year reign at Manchester United has seen the club transformed from a sleeping giant to a relentless, trophy-winning juggernaut in both the football arena and the sports business world.
Following Wednesday’s announcement that the Scot, the most successful coach in English football history, will end his Old Trafford tenure, CNN marks seven moments which have defined Ferguson’s career.
Sacked by St Mirren
Ferguson’s managerial career has been littered with glorious highs, but it has not been without its lows, none more so than in 1978 when Ferguson was in charge of Scottish team St Mirren.
Alex Ferguson has announced he is retiring at the end of this season, having won his 13th English Premier League title in more than 26 years as manager of Manchester United.
The 71-year-old is the most successful and longest-serving manager in United’s history, having also won two European Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups.
Ferguson survived a difficult first four years at Manchester United before winning a title — the 1990 FA Cup. Here he celebrates with Bryan Robson, who became the first United captain to lift the trophy three times after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in the final replay.
Ferguson lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup for the second time in his career in 1991, when United beat Barcelona 2-1 in the final. He had previously won the now defunct tournament with Scottish club Aberdeen.
In 1993, United won the English title for the first time in 26 years, and Ferguson took the club on a tour of South Africa, where he met Nelson Mandela before the ANC leader became the country’s first post-apartheid president.
Ferguson celebrates with his assistant Brian Kidd after United won the Premiership again in 1994, then went on to secure a domestic double by beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final. United repeated the feat in 1996.
Ferguson with his grandson Jake before the 1999 FA Cup final victory against Newcastle that sealed United’s third double in six years.
Just four days later, United completed a treble with an incredible last-gasp win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. Ferguson and keeper Peter Schmeichel hold the trophy in Barcelona.
Ferguson tried to retire more than a decade ago, announcing at the start of the 2001-02 season that it would be his last. However, he changed his mind the following February but United failed to reach the Champions League final — which was to be played in his native Glasgow.
Another European title followed in 2008, but Barcelona handed United disappointment in the 2009 and 2011 finals. However, Ferguson and his players still earned a parade the latter season after winning a record 19th English league title — the Scot’s 12th.
The next season, United commemorated Ferguson’s 25 years as manager on November 5, 2011.
As a player, Ferguson was a prolific goalscorer for Scottish clubs St. Johnstone and Dunfermline, but his big move to Glasgow Rangers in 1967 proved disappointing and he left two years later. He ended his playing days at Ayr in 1974 without winning a major honor.
Ferguson made his name as a manager at Aberdeen. His fourth Scottish Cup win in 1986 was his last success with the Dons, having won three Scottish league titles and the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup — beating mighty Real Madrid in the final.
Ferguson, who briefly managed Scotland at the 1986 World Cup, overhauled the squad at Old Trafford and introduced some of the finest players to grace the EPL in the past two decades.
Arguably the most important signing was that of French forward Eric Cantona, a $1.9 million bargain from Leeds who led United’s surge to dominance in the 1990s.
The 1993 addition of young midfielder Roy Keane in a then British record transfer fee of £3.75 million from Nottingham Forest provided United with a ferocious future captain.
Ferguson also introduced young talent such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers Gary and Phil — who all went on to become integral members of his team.
Ferguson played a key role in resurrecting the career of Beckham, who had been vilified by England fans after being sent off during the 1998 World Cup defeat by Argentina.
Ferguson famously beat United’s rivals Manchester City to sign Giggs as a teenager, and the Welsh winger has repaid his faith by staying with the club until the present day.
Ferguson’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003 paid off as the Portugal forward fired United to Champions League glory in 2008 and was named world player of the year — the first from the EPL to do so — before joining Real Madrid in a record $130 million deal.
Ferguson is well known for his fiery temper and his motivational skills.
In 2003, he infamously kicked a boot into the face of Beckham in the dressing room after a match, but refused to apologize. “If I’d tried it 100 times or million times, it wouldn’t happen again,” he said. “If it did, I would carry on playing.”
United striker Wayne Rooney said Ferguson’s team talk ahead of the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow “made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.” United denied the London side a first European title after a penalty shootout.
United reached the final again the following season, but lost to Barcelona. Here Ferguson speaks with Britain’s Prince William at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.
Ferguson’s last match on the European stage was a defeat by Ronaldo’s Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match at Old Trafford on March 5, 2013.
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In pictures: The reign of Alex Ferguson
Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced he will retire at the end of the English Premier League season. Ferguson has managed the team for 26 years, making him the longest-serving manager in Premier League history.
Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, has coached Duke University’s men’s basketball team since 1980, putting him in his 33rd season as head coach.
Eddie Robinson served as Grambling State University’s head football coach for 57 seasons from 1941 to 1997. Robinson — here listening to the national anthem before his final game — coached more than 4,000 players.
Al Arbour coached the New York Islanders for 20 years, with a year-long stint as vice president of player development for the team in 1987.
Andy Landers has coached the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team since 1979 and continues to this day.
Head coach emeritus Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history of either men’s or women’s teams. She coached for 38 years before stepping down in 2012 to fight early onset dementia.
Gregg Popovich is in his 17th year as coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988 and turned the team into one of the most dominant in the National Football League until the early ’80s.
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics, now based in Oakland, California, from 1901 until his retirement at age 88 in 1950.
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Photos: Longest-serving coaches in sports
Ferguson’s retirement ‘a sad day’
Alex Ferguson’s football legacy
He oversaw a remarkable upturn in St MIrren’s fortunes which saw the unheralded club win the second-tier of Scottish football in 1977 with a squad which bore classic hallmarks of a Ferguson team, notably his faith in young players. That St Mirren side had an average age of just 19.
But he was unceremoniously sacked by then St Mirren chairman Willie Todd for what he described as “breaches of contract” relating to the manager’s decision to join Aberdeen.
Read: “King” Ferguson may be out, but brand will survive
”I regret the fact Alex did not stay longer at St Mirren and I regret the circumstances of his departure, but I still believe that the club had no alternative,” Todd told Scottish newspaper the Herald in May 1999.
“There were no grudges. I’ve met him several times at football matches since then and our relationship is quite amicable.”
Aberdeen roll over Real Madrid
Ferguson was finally appointed as Aberdeen manager in June 1978 and unprecedented success followed for the Scottish club.
Alex Ferguson’s Man U trophies collection
Premier League: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
FA Cup: 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cup: 1992, 2006, 2009, 2010
Champions League: 1999, 2008
Cup Winners Cup: 1991
Fifa Club World Cup: 2008
Uefa Super Cup: 1991
Inter-Continental Cup: 1999
FA Charity/Community Shield: 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
He broke the duopoly of Glasgow Rangers and Celtic, guiding Aberdeen to three Scottish League titles in 1980, 1984 and 1985.
However, arguably Ferguson’s finest moment with Aberdeen was on the European stage.
Read: Manchester United’s Asian appeal
Following a Scottish Cup triumph in 1982, Aberdeen qualified for the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Ferguson’s team reached the final, with a 3-2 quarterfinal second-leg victory over Bayern Munich one of the many highlights of an impressive campaign.
In the final, held in Gothenberg on May 11, 1983, Aberdeen faced Spanish giants Real Madrid, managed by the great Alfredo Di Stefano.
The match finished in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes, before striker John Hewitt scored the winner for Aberdeen in extra-time.
Jock Stein’s death
One of the most poignant moments of Ferguson’s career arrived just over a year before he was appointed to the United job.
Ferguson was part of Jock Stein’s coaching staff with the Scottish national team ahead of a crucial 1986 World Cup qualifying match against Wales in Cardiff.
Scotland needed a point to reach the tournament in Mexico, which they duly acquired following a 1-1 draw.
But the match was overshadowed when Stein, the first British coach to win the European Cup with Celtic in 1967, collapsed after the final whistle.
“I grabbed for him as he started to fall,” Ferguson recalled, when talking to the Daily Mail in 2012. “The medics came out of the tunnel. I held him until he was helped inside.
“When I left to speak to the press I saw Graeme Souness and he was crying. ‘I think he’s gone,’ Graeme said. I couldn’t believe it.
“When we filed on to the bus there were thousands standing outside and the quiet sadness of the atmosphere was unforgettable. The abiding memory is of a solemn silence. It was as if the king had died.
“In football terms, the king had died.”
2012: Ferguson: ‘Racism still exists’
2012: Ferguson talks to CNN
Ferguson coached Scotland at the 1986 World Cup, but the team headed home after the first round following a group phase campaign which yielded just one point.
After watching the pressures of football get the better of his mentor, it raises the question of whether Stein’s death played a role in Ferguson’s decision to bow out on his own terms.
FA Cup redemption
After a trophy-laden spell at Pittodrie with Aberdeen, Ferguson headed south to join United in 1986, but his early days at Old Trafford were a world away from the glorious success he enjoyed in the 1990s and 2000s.
Two seasons passed without a trophy and after eight league games without a win, it was suggested Ferguson would be sacked if United lost an FA Cup replay against Nottingham Forest on January 7 1990 .
Substitute Mark Robins scored the winner to send United into the next round and, allegedly, save Fergie’s job.
Ferguson went on to mastermind a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in an FA Cup final replay after the first match finished 3-3 to secure the Scot’s first trophy at Old Trafford.
The silverware continued to flow, with an English Premier League title — the club’s first in 26 years — arriving in 1993.
Deja vu?
Ferguson’s retirement was originally scheduled for 11 years ago. The Scot announced in 2001 that the forthcoming season would be his last, hoping his decision to break the news in advance would allow the club to make suitable succession plans.
But it had the opposite effect and, by November 2001, defending champions United sat ninth in the Premier League table.
By January 2002, after an eight-match winning run, United had risen to the top of the table and the next month Ferguson reversed his decision to retire from the game by signing a new three-year contract at Old Trafford.
Bobby Charlton: Ferguson’s best moment
Will Mourinho replace Ferguson?
The rest, as they say, is history. Six further English titles have followed, along with an FA Cup triumph and the Champions League in 2008.
The Flying Boot
In addition to the trophies and the accolades, there have been plenty of spats, with numerous star players feeling the heat of Ferguson’s infamous “hairdryer” treatment.
Notably when a “one in a million” flying boot caught David Beckham above the left eye, an incident which dominated the headlines like no other flare up between Ferguson and one of his charges.
Following a 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Arsenal in February 2003, Ferguson launched a tirade at his star midfielder which, according to Beckham’s autobiography, went along the lines of “David, what about the second goal? What were you doing? . . . We told you about it before the game. The problem with you is you don’t let anyone talk to you. You don’t listen’.
“I felt like I was being bullied in public,” explained Beckham, who now plays for Paris Saint-Germain. “I was being backed into a corner for no other reason than spite. I was trapped.”
Beckham swore at Ferguson and bedlam ensued.
“The boss took a step or two towards me,” Beckham continued. “There was a boot on the floor. He swung his leg and kicked it. At me? At the wall? It could have been anywhere, he was that angry now.
“I went for the gaffer. I don’t know if I’ve ever lost control like that before. Suddenly it was like some mad scene out of a gangster movie.”
Beckham’s teammates held him back, but after the incident, the then England captain appeared with a medical dressing over the cut above his eye.
“It was a freakish incident,” Ferguson reportedly said. “If I tried it 100 or a million times it couldn’t happen again. If I could I would have carried on playing!”
An increasingly tempestuous relationship between the two personalities came to an end on 1 July 2003, when Beckham left Manchester United to join Real Madrid.
Treble
May 26, 1999, was a night which simultaneously defied belief and defined Ferguson’s Manchester United reign.
United were chasing history. The league title had been wrapped up, beating Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal to the Premier League title by just one point.
FA Cup success followed. Goals from striker Teddy Sheringham and midfielder Paul Scholes secured a straight-forward 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the final at Wembley.
Ferguson’s team were one step away from securing an unprecedented Premier League, FA Cup and European Champions League treble.
United’s opponents in the European Cup final at Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium were Bayern Munich and the Germans looked set to win the showpiece match after Mario Basler’s first-half free-kick put them 1-0 ahead.
In search of a way back into the match, Ferguson threw on substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
As the game ticked into extra-time, United earned a corner. Goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel raced forward in a desperate attempt to force an equalizer.
The initial cross was cleared, but the ball fell to Ryan Giggs whose low shot from the edge of the box was turned into the net by Sheringham.
Cue jubilant celebrations among United players, fans and coaching staff, but uncontained joy was to follow seconds later.
United earned another corner kick in the final seconds of injury time. Sheringham flicked on Beckham’s cross at the near post and Solskjaer flung his right leg at the header to send the ball flying into the back of the net.
Bayern were beaten, United had completed an historic treble.
As Ferguson remarked to ITV after the incredible climax, “football, bloody hell.”
Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/08/sport/football/alex-ferguson-career-football/index.html?eref=edition
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Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced he will retire at the end of the English Premier League season. Ferguson has managed the team for 26 years, making him the longest-serving manager in Premier League history.
Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, has coached Duke University’s men’s basketball team since 1980, putting him in his 33rd season as head coach. 
Eddie Robinson served as Grambling State University’s head football coach for 57 seasons from 1941 to 1997. Robinson — here listening to the national anthem before his final game — coached more than 4,000 players. 
Al Arbour coached the New York Islanders for 20 years, with a year-long stint as vice president of player development for the team in 1987. 
Andy Landers has coached the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team since 1979 and continues to this day. 
Head coach emeritus Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history of either men’s or women’s teams. She coached for 38 years before stepping down in 2012 to fight early onset dementia.
Gregg Popovich is in his 17th year as coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988 and turned the team into one of the most dominant in the National Football League until the early ’80s. 
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics, now based in Oakland, California, from 1901 until his retirement at age 88 in 1950.
The Scot originally planned to retire from management at the end of the 2001-02 season. But, after helping the team recover from a slip in form which saw them drop as low as ninth in the Premier League table, Ferguson reversed his decision in February 2002 and signed a new three-year contract.
Ferguson’s finest hour arrived in Barcelona in May 1999, when his United team came from 1-0 down in the 90th minute to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the European Champions League final. The win completed an historic treble of titles won during the 1998-99 season, which included the Premier League title and the FA Cup.
Alex Ferguson has announced he is retiring at the end of this season, having won his 13th English Premier League title in more than 26 years as manager of Manchester United. 
The 71-year-old is the most successful and longest-serving manager in United’s history, having also won two European Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups.
Ferguson survived a difficult first four years at Manchester United before winning a title — the 1990 FA Cup. Here he celebrates with Bryan Robson, who became the first United captain to lift the trophy three times after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in the final replay. 
Ferguson lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup for the second time in his career in 1991, when United beat Barcelona 2-1 in the final. He had previously won the now defunct tournament with Scottish club Aberdeen.
In 1993, United won the English title for the first time in 26 years, and Ferguson took the club on a tour of South Africa, where he met Nelson Mandela before the ANC leader became the country’s first post-apartheid president.
Ferguson celebrates with his assistant Brian Kidd after United won the Premiership again in 1994, then went on to secure a domestic double by beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final. United repeated the feat in 1996. 
Ferguson with his grandson Jake before the 1999 FA Cup final victory against Newcastle that sealed United’s third double in six years.
Just four days later, United completed a treble with an incredible last-gasp win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. Ferguson and keeper Peter Schmeichel hold the trophy in Barcelona.
Ferguson tried to retire more than a decade ago, announcing at the start of the 2001-02 season that it would be his last. However, he changed his mind the following February but United failed to reach the Champions League final — which was to be played in his native Glasgow.
Another European title followed in 2008, but Barcelona handed United disappointment in the 2009 and 2011 finals. However, Ferguson and his players still earned a parade the latter season after winning a record 19th English league title — the Scot’s 12th.
The next season, United commemorated Ferguson’s 25 years as manager on November 5, 2011.
As a player, Ferguson was a prolific goalscorer for Scottish clubs St. Johnstone and Dunfermline, but his big move to Glasgow Rangers in 1967 proved disappointing and he left two years later. He ended his playing days at Ayr in 1974 without winning a major honor.
Ferguson made his name as a manager at Aberdeen. His fourth Scottish Cup win in 1986 was his last success with the Dons, having won three Scottish league titles and the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup — beating mighty Real Madrid in the final.
Ferguson, who briefly managed Scotland at the 1986 World Cup, overhauled the squad at Old Trafford and introduced some of the finest players to grace the EPL in the past two decades. 
Arguably the most important signing was that of French forward Eric Cantona, a $1.9 million bargain from Leeds who led United’s surge to dominance in the 1990s.
The 1993 addition of young midfielder Roy Keane in a then British record transfer fee of £3.75 million from Nottingham Forest provided United with a ferocious future captain.
Ferguson also introduced young talent such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers Gary and Phil — who all went on to become integral members of his team.
Ferguson played a key role in resurrecting the career of Beckham, who had been vilified by England fans after being sent off during the 1998 World Cup defeat by Argentina.
Ferguson famously beat United’s rivals Manchester City to sign Giggs as a teenager, and the Welsh winger has repaid his faith by staying with the club until the present day.
Ferguson’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003 paid off as the Portugal forward fired United to Champions League glory in 2008 and was named world player of the year — the first from the EPL to do so — before joining Real Madrid in a record $130 million deal.
Ferguson is well known for his fiery temper and his motivational skills.
In 2003, he infamously kicked a boot into the face of Beckham in the dressing room after a match, but refused to apologize. “If I’d tried it 100 times or million times, it wouldn’t happen again,” he said. “If it did, I would carry on playing.”
United striker Wayne Rooney said Ferguson’s team talk ahead of the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow “made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.” United denied the London side a first European title after a penalty shootout.
United reached the final again the following season, but lost to Barcelona. Here Ferguson speaks with Britain’s Prince William at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.
Ferguson’s last match on the European stage was a defeat by Ronaldo’s Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match at Old Trafford on March 5, 2013.
Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced he will retire at the end of the English Premier League season. Ferguson has managed the team for 26 years, making him the longest-serving manager in Premier League history.
Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, has coached Duke University’s men’s basketball team since 1980, putting him in his 33rd season as head coach. 
Eddie Robinson served as Grambling State University’s head football coach for 57 seasons from 1941 to 1997. Robinson — here listening to the national anthem before his final game — coached more than 4,000 players. 
Al Arbour coached the New York Islanders for 20 years, with a year-long stint as vice president of player development for the team in 1987. 
Andy Landers has coached the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team since 1979 and continues to this day. 
Head coach emeritus Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history of either men’s or women’s teams. She coached for 38 years before stepping down in 2012 to fight early onset dementia.
Gregg Popovich is in his 17th year as coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988 and turned the team into one of the most dominant in the National Football League until the early ’80s. 
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics, now based in Oakland, California, from 1901 until his retirement at age 88 in 1950.
Alex Ferguson has announced he is retiring at the end of this season, having won his 13th English Premier League title in more than 26 years as manager of Manchester United. 
The 71-year-old is the most successful and longest-serving manager in United’s history, having also won two European Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups.
Ferguson survived a difficult first four years at Manchester United before winning a title — the 1990 FA Cup. Here he celebrates with Bryan Robson, who became the first United captain to lift the trophy three times after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in the final replay. 
Ferguson lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup for the second time in his career in 1991, when United beat Barcelona 2-1 in the final. He had previously won the now defunct tournament with Scottish club Aberdeen.
In 1993, United won the English title for the first time in 26 years, and Ferguson took the club on a tour of South Africa, where he met Nelson Mandela before the ANC leader became the country’s first post-apartheid president.
Ferguson celebrates with his assistant Brian Kidd after United won the Premiership again in 1994, then went on to secure a domestic double by beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final. United repeated the feat in 1996. 
Ferguson with his grandson Jake before the 1999 FA Cup final victory against Newcastle that sealed United’s third double in six years.
Just four days later, United completed a treble with an incredible last-gasp win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. Ferguson and keeper Peter Schmeichel hold the trophy in Barcelona.
Ferguson tried to retire more than a decade ago, announcing at the start of the 2001-02 season that it would be his last. However, he changed his mind the following February but United failed to reach the Champions League final — which was to be played in his native Glasgow.
Another European title followed in 2008, but Barcelona handed United disappointment in the 2009 and 2011 finals. However, Ferguson and his players still earned a parade the latter season after winning a record 19th English league title — the Scot’s 12th.
The next season, United commemorated Ferguson’s 25 years as manager on November 5, 2011.
As a player, Ferguson was a prolific goalscorer for Scottish clubs St. Johnstone and Dunfermline, but his big move to Glasgow Rangers in 1967 proved disappointing and he left two years later. He ended his playing days at Ayr in 1974 without winning a major honor.
Ferguson made his name as a manager at Aberdeen. His fourth Scottish Cup win in 1986 was his last success with the Dons, having won three Scottish league titles and the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup — beating mighty Real Madrid in the final.
Ferguson, who briefly managed Scotland at the 1986 World Cup, overhauled the squad at Old Trafford and introduced some of the finest players to grace the EPL in the past two decades. 
Arguably the most important signing was that of French forward Eric Cantona, a $1.9 million bargain from Leeds who led United’s surge to dominance in the 1990s.
The 1993 addition of young midfielder Roy Keane in a then British record transfer fee of £3.75 million from Nottingham Forest provided United with a ferocious future captain.
Ferguson also introduced young talent such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers Gary and Phil — who all went on to become integral members of his team.
Ferguson played a key role in resurrecting the career of Beckham, who had been vilified by England fans after being sent off during the 1998 World Cup defeat by Argentina.
Ferguson famously beat United’s rivals Manchester City to sign Giggs as a teenager, and the Welsh winger has repaid his faith by staying with the club until the present day.
Ferguson’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003 paid off as the Portugal forward fired United to Champions League glory in 2008 and was named world player of the year — the first from the EPL to do so — before joining Real Madrid in a record $130 million deal.
Ferguson is well known for his fiery temper and his motivational skills.
In 2003, he infamously kicked a boot into the face of Beckham in the dressing room after a match, but refused to apologize. “If I’d tried it 100 times or million times, it wouldn’t happen again,” he said. “If it did, I would carry on playing.”
United striker Wayne Rooney said Ferguson’s team talk ahead of the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow “made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.” United denied the London side a first European title after a penalty shootout.
United reached the final again the following season, but lost to Barcelona. Here Ferguson speaks with Britain’s Prince William at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.
Ferguson’s last match on the European stage was a defeat by Ronaldo’s Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match at Old Trafford on March 5, 2013.
Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced he will retire at the end of the English Premier League season. Ferguson has managed the team for 26 years, making him the longest-serving manager in Premier League history.
Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, has coached Duke University’s men’s basketball team since 1980, putting him in his 33rd season as head coach. 
Eddie Robinson served as Grambling State University’s head football coach for 57 seasons from 1941 to 1997. Robinson — here listening to the national anthem before his final game — coached more than 4,000 players. 
Al Arbour coached the New York Islanders for 20 years, with a year-long stint as vice president of player development for the team in 1987. 
Andy Landers has coached the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team since 1979 and continues to this day. 
Head coach emeritus Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history of either men’s or women’s teams. She coached for 38 years before stepping down in 2012 to fight early onset dementia.
Gregg Popovich is in his 17th year as coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988 and turned the team into one of the most dominant in the National Football League until the early ’80s. 
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics, now based in Oakland, California, from 1901 until his retirement at age 88 in 1950.
The Scot originally planned to retire from management at the end of the 2001-02 season. But, after helping the team recover from a slip in form which saw them drop as low as ninth in the Premier League table, Ferguson reversed his decision in February 2002 and signed a new three-year contract.
Ferguson’s finest hour arrived in Barcelona in May 1999, when his United team came from 1-0 down in the 90th minute to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the European Champions League final. The win completed an historic treble of titles won during the 1998-99 season, which included the Premier League title and the FA Cup.
“Teddy is very sad,” wrote Instagram user @ejgemmag In Manchester, England, of her toy after hearing news of United manager Alex Ferguson’s retirement. 
Instagrammer @johnwalker021, who is half English and half Swedish, displayed his shirt with pride and posted a football chant in honor of Ferguson: “So here’s to Alex Ferguson. He’ll take us all the way! We’re on the road to glory now! Winning at home and away.”
“I felt like I had been punched in the stomach and contemplated calling in sick to work,” said Instagram user @jplubrani, in active service in the U.S. military from Los Angeles. “I got a tear in my eye … All those emotions at once!”
“Lifelong fan” @alexbalding shows his red devil tattoo — Red Devils is the club’s nickname — done the very morning of the announcement Ferguson was to retire. He said he was “devastated” by the news.
“The man will definitely be missed,” said @sosogeed813, who shared this picture from his first Manchester United game. “It was an experience of a lifetime … It is the beautiful game after all. Thanks Sir Alex Ferguson!” 
In Oatley, Australia, @frankiegram1 showed off a sad look while wearing a Manchester United top (with help from his owner, Matt).
“It’s going to be interesting without him,” said Instagrammer @kurto12.
“Seeing my favorite team with another manager next season, that’s going to be tough to get used to,” said Instagrammer @shar316 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Thai-Brit Instagrammer @KrisRedford posted a picture of himself proudly wearing his United team shirt.
Instagrammer @mrsagatha_sari’s young son Waltteri wears his United jersey to play football in the southern Finland where they live, in this photo from last summer. She said she was “very sad” about Ferguson’s retirement, but “I guess that change might even be good.”
Jose Mourinho, right, had been widely expected to return to Chelsea if he leaves Real Madrid at the end of this season — but Alex Ferguson’s decision to retire has prompted a flood of bets from punters that the Portuguese coach will instead go to Manchester United.
Ferguson’s fellow Scot, Everton manager David Moyes, had previously been the bookmakers’ favorite to take over at Old Trafford. The 50-year-old Scot has impressed on a tight budget at the English Premier League club since his arrival in 2002.
Moyes is out of contract in the summer — as is Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes. This season the 68-year-old coach has guided Bayern to the Bundesliga title as well as the Champions League final – the Munich club will play German rivals Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on May 25. However, Heynckes will step down at the end of this season after Bayern opted to appoint Pep Guardiola on a three-year contract from July 1.
Jurgen Klopp is also among the bookies’ frontrunners, having guided Borussia Dortmund to this month’s European Champions League final. The 45-year-old coach helped Dortmund win the German Bundesliga title the previous two seasons.
Ferguson’s former “supersub” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is another linked with the job. The 40-year-old Norwegian, a Champions League winner with United in 1999, began his managerial career with Molde after injury ended his playing days, and has already won two domestic titles in his homeland. Before that he successfully coached United’s reserves. 
Michael Laudrup is also seen as a contender after a successful first season in the English Premier League with Swansea, guiding the Welsh club to the League Cup trophy. The former Barcelona star has previous managerial experience in Spain with Getafe and Mallorca, and in Russia with Spartak Moscow.
Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti is another being backed to replace Ferguson. The 53-year-old Italian has won virtually every honor in the game as a player and manager with clubs including AC Milan, Roma and Chelsea. There has been intense speculation Ancelotti will leave French league leaders at the end of the season.
Former United captain Roy Keane was once seen as Ferguson’s future successor, but the Irishman has focused on media work since being sacked by English second division team Ipswich in January 2011. He took Sunderland into the Premier League at the first attempt but quit in December 2008 after a run of poor results.
Rene Meulensteen, right, has been Ferguson’s assistant since 2008, but the 49-year-old Dutchman is not expected to make the step up to the top job despite an association with United that started more than a decade ago as youth coach. 
One of the outsiders is veteran United player Ryan Giggs, who has won 13 English league titles under Ferguson since his debut in 1991. The Welshman, who is 40 in November, has signed another one-year playing contract. 
Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced he will retire at the end of the English Premier League season. Ferguson has managed the team for 26 years, making him the longest-serving manager in Premier League history.
Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, has coached Duke University’s men’s basketball team since 1980, putting him in his 33rd season as head coach. 
Eddie Robinson served as Grambling State University’s head football coach for 57 seasons from 1941 to 1997. Robinson — here listening to the national anthem before his final game — coached more than 4,000 players. 
Al Arbour coached the New York Islanders for 20 years, with a year-long stint as vice president of player development for the team in 1987. 
Andy Landers has coached the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team since 1979 and continues to this day. 
Head coach emeritus Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history of either men’s or women’s teams. She coached for 38 years before stepping down in 2012 to fight early onset dementia.
Gregg Popovich is in his 17th year as coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988 and turned the team into one of the most dominant in the National Football League until the early ’80s. 
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics, now based in Oakland, California, from 1901 until his retirement at age 88 in 1950.
Alex Ferguson has announced he is retiring at the end of this season, having won his 13th English Premier League title in more than 26 years as manager of Manchester United. 
The 71-year-old is the most successful and longest-serving manager in United’s history, having also won two European Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups.
Ferguson survived a difficult first four years at Manchester United before winning a title — the 1990 FA Cup. Here he celebrates with Bryan Robson, who became the first United captain to lift the trophy three times after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in the final replay. 
Ferguson lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup for the second time in his career in 1991, when United beat Barcelona 2-1 in the final. He had previously won the now defunct tournament with Scottish club Aberdeen.
In 1993, United won the English title for the first time in 26 years, and Ferguson took the club on a tour of South Africa, where he met Nelson Mandela before the ANC leader became the country’s first post-apartheid president.
Ferguson celebrates with his assistant Brian Kidd after United won the Premiership again in 1994, then went on to secure a domestic double by beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final. United repeated the feat in 1996. 
Ferguson with his grandson Jake before the 1999 FA Cup final victory against Newcastle that sealed United’s third double in six years.
Just four days later, United completed a treble with an incredible last-gasp win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. Ferguson and keeper Peter Schmeichel hold the trophy in Barcelona.
Ferguson tried to retire more than a decade ago, announcing at the start of the 2001-02 season that it would be his last. However, he changed his mind the following February but United failed to reach the Champions League final — which was to be played in his native Glasgow.
Another European title followed in 2008, but Barcelona handed United disappointment in the 2009 and 2011 finals. However, Ferguson and his players still earned a parade the latter season after winning a record 19th English league title — the Scot’s 12th.
The next season, United commemorated Ferguson’s 25 years as manager on November 5, 2011.
As a player, Ferguson was a prolific goalscorer for Scottish clubs St. Johnstone and Dunfermline, but his big move to Glasgow Rangers in 1967 proved disappointing and he left two years later. He ended his playing days at Ayr in 1974 without winning a major honor.
Ferguson made his name as a manager at Aberdeen. His fourth Scottish Cup win in 1986 was his last success with the Dons, having won three Scottish league titles and the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup — beating mighty Real Madrid in the final.
Ferguson, who briefly managed Scotland at the 1986 World Cup, overhauled the squad at Old Trafford and introduced some of the finest players to grace the EPL in the past two decades. 
Arguably the most important signing was that of French forward Eric Cantona, a $1.9 million bargain from Leeds who led United’s surge to dominance in the 1990s.
The 1993 addition of young midfielder Roy Keane in a then British record transfer fee of £3.75 million from Nottingham Forest provided United with a ferocious future captain.
Ferguson also introduced young talent such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers Gary and Phil — who all went on to become integral members of his team.
Ferguson played a key role in resurrecting the career of Beckham, who had been vilified by England fans after being sent off during the 1998 World Cup defeat by Argentina.
Ferguson famously beat United’s rivals Manchester City to sign Giggs as a teenager, and the Welsh winger has repaid his faith by staying with the club until the present day.
Ferguson’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003 paid off as the Portugal forward fired United to Champions League glory in 2008 and was named world player of the year — the first from the EPL to do so — before joining Real Madrid in a record $130 million deal.
Ferguson is well known for his fiery temper and his motivational skills.
In 2003, he infamously kicked a boot into the face of Beckham in the dressing room after a match, but refused to apologize. “If I’d tried it 100 times or million times, it wouldn’t happen again,” he said. “If it did, I would carry on playing.”
United striker Wayne Rooney said Ferguson’s team talk ahead of the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow “made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.” United denied the London side a first European title after a penalty shootout.
United reached the final again the following season, but lost to Barcelona. Here Ferguson speaks with Britain’s Prince William at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.
Ferguson’s last match on the European stage was a defeat by Ronaldo’s Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match at Old Trafford on March 5, 2013.
Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced he will retire at the end of the English Premier League season. Ferguson has managed the team for 26 years, making him the longest-serving manager in Premier League history. Ferguson looks on during a match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace in 2011 in Manchester, England.
Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, has coached Duke University’s men’s basketball team since 1980, putting him in his 33rd season as head coach. Krzyzewski calls a play to his team during a game against Presbyterian Blue Hose in 2011 in Durham, North Carolina.
Eddie Robinson served as Grambling State University’s head football coach for 57 seasons from 1941 to 1997. Robinson coached more than 4,000 players. Robinson is emotional during the National Anthem before his final game as head coach on November 15, 1997.
Al Arbour coached the New York Islanders for 20 years with a year-long stint as vice president of player development for the team in 1987. Arbour looks on during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers in 1980.
Andy Landers has coached the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team since 1979 and continues to this day. Landers shouts directions to his team during a game against the University of California Golden Bears on April 1.
Gregg Popovich is in his 17th year as coach of the San Antonio Spurs. Popovich directs his team against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 14.
Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988 and turned the team into one of the most dominant in the National Football League until the early ’80s. Landry watches the Cowboys play against the San Francisco 49ers in 1982.
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics, now located in Oakland, from 1901 until his retirement at age 88 in 1950. Mack, left, speaks with a pitcher for the Athletics in 1920.
The death of Dutch amateur linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen shocked a nation. Niewenhuizen was beaten to death following a youth match, with six teenagers and a father set to face trial over the killing. Nieuwenhuizen’s death prompted a rule change in Dutch soccer, meaning that only team captains can speak with referees — any other player who does so will be booked. 
A year previously, AZ Alkmaar players angrily protested when referee Bas Nijhuis sent off the club’s goalkeeper after he kicked out at a fan of opposing team Ajax who attacked him during a Dutch Cup match. 
Max Klein, left, is a young, up-and-coming referee in Germany. The 18-year-old thinks the only way clubs and fans will truly change their conduct is if they are hit with heavy fines.
Herbert Fandel is a former referee who is now head of the German Football Federation’s referee commission. He admits violence is one of the reasons why the number of officials in Germany is decreasing.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho named Ovrebo and a number of his colleagues in a list of referees he considered to be sympathetic towards Barcelona. “I can’t say what I feel. I only leave one question. Why?” said Mourinho after a 2011 Champions League semifinal loss to Barca. “Why? Ovrebo, (Massimo) Busacca, (Anders) Frisk, (Wolfgang) Stark, (Frank) De Bleeckere. 
The English Premier League has instigated a “Respect” campaign in a bid to stop match officials being subjected to abuse — such as this during match between Queens Park Rangers and Stoke in May 2012.
Members of Dutch football club SC Buitenboys pay respect to Richard Nieuwenhuizen as the hearse carrying his body arrives at the crematorium in Almere on December 10.
Relatives of the late linesman took part in a silent march in his memory in Almere the previous day. 
Nieuwenhuizen collapsed and fell into a coma after he was attacked by three teenagers at the end of a junior club football match on December 2.
While 33,000 amateur matches were canceled across the Netherlands, professional teams held a minute’s silence ahead of their games to pay tribute to the 41-year-old.
People lay flowers for Nieuwenhuizen at the Buitenboys clubhouse in Almere on December 9, 2012. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the attack, which came following a match against Amsterdam’s Nieuw Sloten.
A Newcastle fan shows his support for the club’s French foreign legion at the club’s home game against Southampton in February.
Newcastle fans made their players from across the Channel feel at home by producing a mosaic of the French flag before the 4-2 win over Southampton at St. James’ Park.
There were seven French players named in the matchday squad for Newcastle’s win over Southampton, while African stars Papiss Cisse and Cheik Tiote are both French speakers. The home fans have been delighted with the impact of the new arrivals with the team beginning to turn its season around.
The locals have even renamed their own pub “La Fraise” instead of its original name, “The Strawberry.” Newcastle is more famous for its Brown Ale than its Chardonnay and Merlot.
Midfielder Moussa Sissoko has been a great acquisition for Newcastle since making the move from French club Toulouse in January. The 23-year-old scored three times in his opening six appearances and is considered as one of the best purchases of the transfer window.
French President Francois Hollande (center) failed in his initial plan to raise tax to 75% but has not given up. Meanwhile, Axelle Lemaire (left), MP for Northern Europe, insists tax is not a factor behind the influx of French players to the English Premier League.
French actor Gerard Depardieu has moved to Russia following a row with the government over potential tax rises. He was welcomed by President Vladimir Putin and awarded Russian citizenship at the Kremlin in January.
Serie A side Lazio has already been punished four times in the 2012-13 season due to racist offenses by its fans in European matches.
“I don’t care what game it is — a friendly, Italian league or Champions League match — I would walk off again,” the Germany-born Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has represented Ghana, told CNN in an exclusive interview in January after he walked off in protest at racist abuse he was subjected to in a friendly match. 
At the end of January, Boateng had a new teammate after AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi sanctioned a $30 million deal to sign striker Mario Balotelli from Manchester City. Berlusconi had previously branded Balotelli a “rotten apple.” 
La Stampa newspaper estimates that the signing of “Super Mario” could be worth 400,000 votes in Berlusconi’s bid for re-election in Italy. The ballot takes place on February 24 and 25.
Before moving to England, the Italy-born Balotelli played for AC Milan’s rivals Inter Milan, and during one Serie A match against Juventus the Turin club’s fans once shouted: “There are no black Italians.”
Soon after Balotelli returned to Italy, Inter Milan were fined $20,000 after racist chants from their fans about the AC Milan’s striker at a match against Chievo. Inter play AC in the Milan derby on February 24.
“Berlusconi is an opportunist, who will say anything to win short-term support,” Italian historian John Foot — the author of the authoritative book on Italian football “Calcio” — told CNN, in reference to the AC Milan owner’s support for Boateng after the player walked off the pitch. “His comments are hypocritical at best, especially given his alliance with anti-immigrant and far-right parties, and his comments on Barack Obama (he called him ‘sun-tanned’),” added Foot. Berlusconi is pictured in the center, wearing a scarf.
Soon after Balotelli returned to Serie A, Berlusconi’s brother Paolo — during a political rally — invited the public to an upcoming AC Milan match and was caught on camera — the video was featured on the website of Italian newspaper La Repubblica — saying: “OK, we are all off to see the family’s little black boy.” Paolo is pictured here, wearing glasses.
“I don’t think you can run away, because then the team should have to forfeit the match,” FIFA president Sepp Blatter told Abu Dhabi’s The National newspaper. “This issue is a very touchy subject, but I repeat there is zero tolerance of racism in the stadium, we have to go against that. The only solution is to be very harsh with the sanctions (against racism) — and the sanctions must be a deduction of points or something similar.”
Two days after Boateng’s walkoff, some sections of Lazio’s crowd at Rome’s Olympic Stadium were heard making monkey noises at Cagliari’s Colombian striker Victor Ibarbo. However, the majority of the home crowd jeered and whistled to drown out the racists.
In 2010, Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o suffered racist abuse from Cagliari fans when playing for Inter Milan in a Serie A game. The Sardinian club was subsequently heavily fined.
In 2005 the Italian authorities banned Paolo di Canio — then playing for Lazio — and fined him almost $11,000 for his use of a straight-arm salute. “The sports court decided that it was an act of racism,” the head of Italy’s Observatory on Racism and Anti-racism in Football, Mauro Valeri, told CNN. “The ordinary court, however, did not intervene. For me it’s racism, for the Ministry of the Interior, no.” Di Canio is now manager of English club Swindon Town.
While English football embarked on a program of stadium reconstruction after the 1980s disasters at Bradford, Heysel (pictured) and Hillsborough, Italian football has been arguably hampered by a lack of stadium redevelopment. 
Of Serie A’s big clubs, only Juventus has built a new stadium in recent years.
The Italian Ministry of the Interior has introduced an identity document — “tessera del tifoso” — for supporters to counteract hooliganism. In order to buy match tickets, fans must present their document, with the system designed to ensure away fans can’t buy “home” tickets for games.
Owen Neilson is writing a book about Italian football grounds, “Stadio: The Life and Death of Italian Football.” “If a stadia revolution is undertaken in Italy — as it has happened in England — a layer of culture unique to Italy will be tarmacked over, with ‘Juventus Stadium’ type replacements,” said Neilson. “Football will be changed again in favor of profit and central figures in a club’s history, such as Giuseppe Meazza (who played for both AC Milan and Inter) or Romeo Menti (Vincenza), will be moved from the spotlight . That will be a real loss.”
“The Football Italian Federation, FIFA and UEFA must empower fan-based initiatives that are capable of creating a culture of self-regulation,” Professor Clifford Stott, who has advised governments and police forces internationally on crowd management policy and practice, told CNN.
Pep Guardiola’s decision to join Bayern Munich left many English Premier League fans shocked and stunned. The former Barcelona coach had been tipped to take over at Chelsea at the end of the season.
Steve McClaren told CNN that he had no other option but to leave England in a bid to restore his reputation after a disastrous spell in charge of the national team ended with failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
The late Bobby Robson was one of the few Englishmen to sample success abroad, winning trophies with PSV Eindhoven, Porto and finally Barcelona, where a young Jose Mourinho acted as his translator.
England manager Roy Hodgson enjoyed success in Europe before managing Fulham, Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. He had a spell in charge of Inter Milan as well as the Swiss national side.
Scotland’s Matt Busby led Manchester United to the European Cup in 1968 as well as domestic league glory on five separate occasions. Busby, who survived the Munich Air Disaster of 1958, is considered one of the most successful managers in British football.
Another Scotsman, Alex Ferguson, has enjoyed an astonishing run of success in more than quarter of a century at Manchester United, winning 12 Premier League titles, two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and several other trophies.
A new study from Brunel University in London has shown that soccer’s best players are better equipped to anticipate their opponents’ moves.
The results showed the more talented players were able to predict their opponents’ moves better than those at the lower end of the scale. “I am confident the findings would be even stronger with professional players,” Dr. Dan Bishop, who oversaw the study, told CNN.
Hundreds of fans and journalists flocked to the Paris Saint-Germain training ground Wednesday to get a glimpse of David Beckham in action on the practice field. The interest in Beckham’s move to the French club has caused huge excitement with the anticipation building ahead of the midfielder’s possible debut on Sunday.
David Beckham took part in his first training session with his new Paris Saint-Germain teammates less than 24 hours after watching them claim a 2-1 win at Valencia in the last-16 round of the Champions League. on Tuesday. 
Beckham, 37, was put through is paces at the club’s open training day where more than 100 journalists turned up to witness the event. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is hoping to make his debut against Sochaux on Sunday, but it’s not known if his pop star wife Victoria will be in attendance. Beckham’s family has remained in London where his children Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz attend school following their move from Los Angeles.
Beckham, who won 115 caps for England, has signed a five-month deal with the Qatari-backed club, but has revealed that his salary will be donated to a Paris children’s charity. He will now hope to force his way into the side and link up with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lucas Moura and Ezequiel Lavezzi with the team six points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
Beckham waves to the waiting press pack as he makes his way out at the club’s Camp des Loges training center in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris. The session, which was led by PSG’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, was shown live on French television.
Beckham shows off his new pink boots, a pair of which even Posh Spice might approve of. While Beckham is busy preparing for his debut, fashion designer Victoria was having her latest designs shown off by models in London.
After working up a sweat, Beckham throws off his top and gets back to work with the players who didn’t feature in Tuesday’s win at Valencia. If Beckham doesn’t play against Sochaux on Sunday, he could line-up the following week against fierce rival Marseille and fellow Englishman Joey Barton.
Beckham takes to the sand as he steps up his training regime. Running on sand has several long-term benefits which includes strengthening the lower body muscles, burning more calories and is supposed to be easier on the joints as opposed to grass.
Beckham watched PSG’s win at Valencia alongside the club’s sporting director Leonardo. The pair looked on as their side edged out Valencia 2-1 in the first leg thanks to goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off late on. The Swede will miss the second leg in the French capital on March 6.
U.S. star Jozy Altidore was subjected to racial abuse during AZ Alkmaar’s cup win at Den Bosch in the Netherlands. The match was halted and the crowd were asked to stop the abusive chanting before the action resumed.
AC Milan’s Kevin Prince-Boateng walked off the pitch after being racially abused during his side’s friendly game with Pro Patria earlier this month. The midfielder was praised for his actions by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Serbia was ordered to play one under-21 match behind closed doors and was fined $105,000 by European football’s governing body UEFA for racial abuse in a match with England. UEFA president has appealed the verdict of his organization in the hope of seeing stiffer punishments administered.
Chelsea and England captain John Terry was charged by UK police after allegedly making racist remarks to Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in October 2011. Terry was cleared of the charges in a London court in July 2012.
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez was banned and fined by the English Football Association after Manchester United’s Patrice Evra claimed the Uruguayan racially insulted him during a match, also in October 2011. Suarez flatly denies Evra’s claims.
Brazilian World Cup winner Roberto Carlos walked off the pitch while playing for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala against Krylya Sovetov in June the same year, after having a banana thrown towards him in the closing stages of the match.
Nicknamed “El Tigre” as a boy by his friends, Radamel Falcao has torn apart defenses all over the world. Atletico paid out $53 million to take him to Spain from Porto in 2011 and he more than repaid that fee, firing 36 goals in his first season and leading the club to the victory in the Europa League.
Falcao’s impressive form has seen him mentioned in the same breath as Barcelona magician Lionel Messi. The Colombian scored a wonderful goal at the Camp Nou to open the scoring in December but Messi grabbed two as Barca eased to a 4-1 win.
Atletico is enjoying a successful season with the club second in La Liga, through to the semifinals of the Spanish Cup and also in contention to retain its Europa League title. Falcao has been central to the team’s impressive run of form, scoring 18 goals in the league so far this term.
Falcao hopes to lead the line for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. His nation has not appeared at the finals since 1998 but holds the third of four automatic qualifying places in the South American group.
Falcao and his singer songwriter wife Lorelei Taron are both in the celebrity spotlight. It’s a role to which the player has had to grow accustomed since becoming a worldwide phenomenon.
Today Manchester United has an aura of glamor and invincibility. But in 1931 and 10 years later the club’s future was in peril.
Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, was blitzed during a raid by the Luftwaffe on March 11 1941. The stadium was obliterated and left the club homeless. All of Gibson’s hard work had been undone in a single night. United agreed a deal to play its home matches at Maine Road, home of rival Manchester City, until Old Trafford was rebuilt in 1949.
Gibson and his wife Lillian, had a train named after the football club. Gibson ensured supporters had a far smoother journey to Old Trafford after having steps built up from the local train station to the stadium, while he also had trains make unscheduled stops to help fans make it in time for kick off.
A statue of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, which stands outside Old Trafford, depicts three of the club’s greatest players. If it wasn’t for Gibson, it is arguable the trio would never have pulled on the red of Manchester United.
Matt Busby, who was appointed by Gibson as manager, went on to win the 1968 European Cup, four league titles and two FA Cups. He survived the Munich Air Crash of 1958, where many of his players perished. After his recovery, he helped rebuild the team and lay foundations for the future.
Busby’s success has been built on by current United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. It was under Ferguson that United won their19th English League overtaking Liverpool’s record of 18.
United have established a buccaneering style of play, which this season has been epitomised by forward Robin van Persie, who is pictured here celebrating with Danny Welbeck. Since joining United from Arsenal in the summer, Van Persie has scored 16 English Premier League goals.
Real Madrid ($650.5 million) and Barcelona ($613 million) lead the way at the top of the chart by some considerable distance over English champion Manchester United ($502.4) . The top six places remain unchanged from last year.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has become an integral part of the club’s success both on and off the pitch with the Spanish giant leading the Football Money League table for the eighth year in a row.
Leo Messi’s goals and success has been key to Barcelona’s ability to draw in fans and broadcasters at will. It is the fourth year in a row that the club has finished second in the Football Money League table behind arch-rival Real Madrid.
Robin van Persie, a $38 million summer signing, has helped Manchester United reach the top of the Premier League as it looks to wrestle the title back from rival Manchester City. United, which has recently signed a record shirt deal with General Motors, has been tipped to overhaul the top two over the coming years.
Last year’s European Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Chelsea remain in fouth and fifth but it is Manchester City which has surged up the table. The English champion was 12th last year but is now up to seventh with revenue of $362.4 million. 
European Champions League holder Chelsea is fifth in the money list. The London club has spent big money in recent years including the $80 million purchase of Spain striker Fernando Torres.
Borussia Dortmund leads the average attendance count with 79,900, beating Manchester United into second place. The matchday experience at Bundesliga clubs has seen attendances rise across the board with safe standing and cheaper tickets both key to its success.
.Arsenal stays sixth in the table despite it’s failure to win a single trophy since 2005. The club has also seen big name departures with Cesc Fabregas joining Barcelona and Robin van Persie moving to Manchester United
Manchester City’s Premier League title win catapulted the club up the Football Money League table and into seventh position. City’s revenue grew to $452.6 million, the largest absolute and relative growth of any Money League club.
The death of Dutch amateur linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen shocked a nation. Niewenhuizen was beaten to death following a youth match, with six teenagers and a father set to face trial over the killing. Nieuwenhuizen’s death prompted a rule change in Dutch soccer, meaning that only team captains can speak with referees — any other player who does so will be booked. 
A year previously, AZ Alkmaar players angrily protested when referee Bas Nijhuis sent off the club’s goalkeeper after he kicked out at a fan of opposing team Ajax who attacked him during a Dutch Cup match. 
Max Klein, left, is a young, up-and-coming referee in Germany. The 18-year-old thinks the only way clubs and fans will truly change their conduct is if they are hit with heavy fines.
Herbert Fandel is a former referee who is now head of the German Football Federation’s referee commission. He admits violence is one of the reasons why the number of officials in Germany is decreasing.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho named Ovrebo and a number of his colleagues in a list of referees he considered to be sympathetic towards Barcelona. “I can’t say what I feel. I only leave one question. Why?” said Mourinho after a 2011 Champions League semifinal loss to Barca. “Why? Ovrebo, (Massimo) Busacca, (Anders) Frisk, (Wolfgang) Stark, (Frank) De Bleeckere. 
The English Premier League has instigated a “Respect” campaign in a bid to stop match officials being subjected to abuse — such as this during match between Queens Park Rangers and Stoke in May 2012.
Members of Dutch football club SC Buitenboys pay respect to Richard Nieuwenhuizen as the hearse carrying his body arrives at the crematorium in Almere on December 10.
Relatives of the late linesman took part in a silent march in his memory in Almere the previous day. 
Nieuwenhuizen collapsed and fell into a coma after he was attacked by three teenagers at the end of a junior club football match on December 2.
While 33,000 amateur matches were canceled across the Netherlands, professional teams held a minute’s silence ahead of their games to pay tribute to the 41-year-old.
People lay flowers for Nieuwenhuizen at the Buitenboys clubhouse in Almere on December 9, 2012. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the attack, which came following a match against Amsterdam’s Nieuw Sloten.
A Newcastle fan shows his support for the club’s French foreign legion at the club’s home game against Southampton in February.
Newcastle fans made their players from across the Channel feel at home by producing a mosaic of the French flag before the 4-2 win over Southampton at St. James’ Park.
There were seven French players named in the matchday squad for Newcastle’s win over Southampton, while African stars Papiss Cisse and Cheik Tiote are both French speakers. The home fans have been delighted with the impact of the new arrivals with the team beginning to turn its season around.
The locals have even renamed their own pub “La Fraise” instead of its original name, “The Strawberry.” Newcastle is more famous for its Brown Ale than its Chardonnay and Merlot.
Midfielder Moussa Sissoko has been a great acquisition for Newcastle since making the move from French club Toulouse in January. The 23-year-old scored three times in his opening six appearances and is considered as one of the best purchases of the transfer window.
French President Francois Hollande (center) failed in his initial plan to raise tax to 75% but has not given up. Meanwhile, Axelle Lemaire (left), MP for Northern Europe, insists tax is not a factor behind the influx of French players to the English Premier League.
French actor Gerard Depardieu has moved to Russia following a row with the government over potential tax rises. He was welcomed by President Vladimir Putin and awarded Russian citizenship at the Kremlin in January.
Serie A side Lazio has already been punished four times in the 2012-13 season due to racist offenses by its fans in European matches.
“I don’t care what game it is — a friendly, Italian league or Champions League match — I would walk off again,” the Germany-born Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has represented Ghana, told CNN in an exclusive interview in January after he walked off in protest at racist abuse he was subjected to in a friendly match. 
At the end of January, Boateng had a new teammate after AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi sanctioned a $30 million deal to sign striker Mario Balotelli from Manchester City. Berlusconi had previously branded Balotelli a “rotten apple.” 
La Stampa newspaper estimates that the signing of “Super Mario” could be worth 400,000 votes in Berlusconi’s bid for re-election in Italy. The ballot takes place on February 24 and 25.
Before moving to England, the Italy-born Balotelli played for AC Milan’s rivals Inter Milan, and during one Serie A match against Juventus the Turin club’s fans once shouted: “There are no black Italians.”
Soon after Balotelli returned to Italy, Inter Milan were fined $20,000 after racist chants from their fans about the AC Milan’s striker at a match against Chievo. Inter play AC in the Milan derby on February 24.
“Berlusconi is an opportunist, who will say anything to win short-term support,” Italian historian John Foot — the author of the authoritative book on Italian football “Calcio” — told CNN, in reference to the AC Milan owner’s support for Boateng after the player walked off the pitch. “His comments are hypocritical at best, especially given his alliance with anti-immigrant and far-right parties, and his comments on Barack Obama (he called him ‘sun-tanned’),” added Foot. Berlusconi is pictured in the center, wearing a scarf.
Soon after Balotelli returned to Serie A, Berlusconi’s brother Paolo — during a political rally — invited the public to an upcoming AC Milan match and was caught on camera — the video was featured on the website of Italian newspaper La Repubblica — saying: “OK, we are all off to see the family’s little black boy.” Paolo is pictured here, wearing glasses.
“I don’t think you can run away, because then the team should have to forfeit the match,” FIFA president Sepp Blatter told Abu Dhabi’s The National newspaper. “This issue is a very touchy subject, but I repeat there is zero tolerance of racism in the stadium, we have to go against that. The only solution is to be very harsh with the sanctions (against racism) — and the sanctions must be a deduction of points or something similar.”
Two days after Boateng’s walkoff, some sections of Lazio’s crowd at Rome’s Olympic Stadium were heard making monkey noises at Cagliari’s Colombian striker Victor Ibarbo. However, the majority of the home crowd jeered and whistled to drown out the racists.
In 2010, Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o suffered racist abuse from Cagliari fans when playing for Inter Milan in a Serie A game. The Sardinian club was subsequently heavily fined.
In 2005 the Italian authorities banned Paolo di Canio — then playing for Lazio — and fined him almost $11,000 for his use of a straight-arm salute. “The sports court decided that it was an act of racism,” the head of Italy’s Observatory on Racism and Anti-racism in Football, Mauro Valeri, told CNN. “The ordinary court, however, did not intervene. For me it’s racism, for the Ministry of the Interior, no.” Di Canio is now manager of English club Swindon Town.
While English football embarked on a program of stadium reconstruction after the 1980s disasters at Bradford, Heysel (pictured) and Hillsborough, Italian football has been arguably hampered by a lack of stadium redevelopment. 
Of Serie A’s big clubs, only Juventus has built a new stadium in recent years.
The Italian Ministry of the Interior has introduced an identity document — “tessera del tifoso” — for supporters to counteract hooliganism. In order to buy match tickets, fans must present their document, with the system designed to ensure away fans can’t buy “home” tickets for games.
Owen Neilson is writing a book about Italian football grounds, “Stadio: The Life and Death of Italian Football.” “If a stadia revolution is undertaken in Italy — as it has happened in England — a layer of culture unique to Italy will be tarmacked over, with ‘Juventus Stadium’ type replacements,” said Neilson. “Football will be changed again in favor of profit and central figures in a club’s history, such as Giuseppe Meazza (who played for both AC Milan and Inter) or Romeo Menti (Vincenza), will be moved from the spotlight . That will be a real loss.”
“The Football Italian Federation, FIFA and UEFA must empower fan-based initiatives that are capable of creating a culture of self-regulation,” Professor Clifford Stott, who has advised governments and police forces internationally on crowd management policy and practice, told CNN.
Pep Guardiola’s decision to join Bayern Munich left many English Premier League fans shocked and stunned. The former Barcelona coach had been tipped to take over at Chelsea at the end of the season.
Steve McClaren told CNN that he had no other option but to leave England in a bid to restore his reputation after a disastrous spell in charge of the national team ended with failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
The late Bobby Robson was one of the few Englishmen to sample success abroad, winning trophies with PSV Eindhoven, Porto and finally Barcelona, where a young Jose Mourinho acted as his translator.
England manager Roy Hodgson enjoyed success in Europe before managing Fulham, Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. He had a spell in charge of Inter Milan as well as the Swiss national side.
Busby, who survived the Munich Air Disaster of 1958, is considered one of the most successful managers in British football.” border=”0″ /Scotland’s Matt Busby led Manchester United to the European Cup in 1968 as well as domestic league glory on five separate occasions. Busby, who survived the Munich Air Disaster of 1958, is considered one of the most successful managers in British football.
Another Scotsman, Alex Ferguson, has enjoyed an astonishing run of success in more than quarter of a century at Manchester United, winning 12 Premier League titles, two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and several other trophies.
A new study from Brunel University in London has shown that soccer’s best players are better equipped to anticipate their opponents’ moves.
The results showed the more talented players were able to predict their opponents’ moves better than those at the lower end of the scale. “I am confident the findings would be even stronger with professional players,” Dr. Dan Bishop, who oversaw the study, told CNN.
Hundreds of fans and journalists flocked to the Paris Saint-Germain training ground Wednesday to get a glimpse of David Beckham in action on the practice field. The interest in Beckham’s move to the French club has caused huge excitement with the anticipation building ahead of the midfielder’s possible debut on Sunday.
David Beckham took part in his first training session with his new Paris Saint-Germain teammates less than 24 hours after watching them claim a 2-1 win at Valencia in the last-16 round of the Champions League. on Tuesday. 
Beckham, 37, was put through is paces at the club’s open training day where more than 100 journalists turned up to witness the event. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is hoping to make his debut against Sochaux on Sunday, but it’s not known if his pop star wife Victoria will be in attendance. Beckham’s family has remained in London where his children Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz attend school following their move from Los Angeles.
Beckham, who won 115 caps for England, has signed a five-month deal with the Qatari-backed club, but has revealed that his salary will be donated to a Paris children’s charity. He will now hope to force his way into the side and link up with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lucas Moura and Ezequiel Lavezzi with the team six points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
Beckham waves to the waiting press pack as he makes his way out at the club’s Camp des Loges training center in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris. The session, which was led by PSG’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, was shown live on French television.
Beckham shows off his new pink boots, a pair of which even Posh Spice might approve of. While Beckham is busy preparing for his debut, fashion designer Victoria was having her latest designs shown off by models in London.
After working up a sweat, Beckham throws off his top and gets back to work with the players who didn’t feature in Tuesday’s win at Valencia. If Beckham doesn’t play against Sochaux on Sunday, he could line-up the following week against fierce rival Marseille and fellow Englishman Joey Barton.
Beckham takes to the sand as he steps up his training regime. Running on sand has several long-term benefits which includes strengthening the lower body muscles, burning more calories and is supposed to be easier on the joints as opposed to grass.
Beckham watched PSG’s win at Valencia alongside the club’s sporting director Leonardo. The pair looked on as their side edged out Valencia 2-1 in the first leg thanks to goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off late on. The Swede will miss the second leg in the French capital on March 6.
U.S. star Jozy Altidore was subjected to racial abuse during AZ Alkmaar’s cup win at Den Bosch in the Netherlands. The match was halted and the crowd were asked to stop the abusive chanting before the action resumed.
AC Milan’s Kevin Prince-Boateng walked off the pitch after being racially abused during his side’s friendly game with Pro Patria earlier this month. The midfielder was praised for his actions by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Serbia was ordered to play one under-21 match behind closed doors and was fined $105,000 by European football’s governing body UEFA for racial abuse in a match with England. UEFA president has appealed the verdict of his organization in the hope of seeing stiffer punishments administered.
Chelsea and England captain John Terry was charged by UK police after allegedly making racist remarks to Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in October 2011. Terry was cleared of the charges in a London court in July 2012.
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez was banned and fined by the English Football Association after Manchester United’s Patrice Evra claimed the Uruguayan racially insulted him during a match, also in October 2011. Suarez flatly denies Evra’s claims.
Brazilian World Cup winner Roberto Carlos walked off the pitch while playing for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala against Krylya Sovetov in June the same year, after having a banana thrown towards him in the closing stages of the match.
Nicknamed “El Tigre” as a boy by his friends, Radamel Falcao has torn apart defenses all over the world. Atletico paid out $53 million to take him to Spain from Porto in 2011 and he more than repaid that fee, firing 36 goals in his first season and leading the club to the victory in the Europa League.
Falcao’s impressive form has seen him mentioned in the same breath as Barcelona magician Lionel Messi. The Colombian scored a wonderful goal at the Camp Nou to open the scoring in December but Messi grabbed two as Barca eased to a 4-1 win.
Atletico is enjoying a successful season with the club second in La Liga, through to the semifinals of the Spanish Cup and also in contention to retain its Europa League title. Falcao has been central to the team’s impressive run of form, scoring 18 goals in the league so far this term.
Falcao hopes to lead the line for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. His nation has not appeared at the finals since 1998 but holds the third of four automatic qualifying places in the South American group.
Falcao and his singer songwriter wife Lorelei Taron are both in the celebrity spotlight. It’s a role to which the player has had to grow accustomed since becoming a worldwide phenomenon.
Today Manchester United has an aura of glamor and invincibility. But in 1931 and 10 years later the club’s future was in peril.
Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, was blitzed during a raid by the Luftwaffe on March 11 1941. The stadium was obliterated and left the club homeless. All of Gibson’s hard work had been undone in a single night. United agreed a deal to play its home matches at Maine Road, home of rival Manchester City, until Old Trafford was rebuilt in 1949.
Gibson and his wife Lillian, had a train named after the football club. Gibson ensured supporters had a far smoother journey to Old Trafford after having steps built up from the local train station to the stadium, while he also had trains make unscheduled stops to help fans make it in time for kick off.
A statue of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, which stands outside Old Trafford, depicts three of the club’s greatest players. If it wasn’t for Gibson, it is arguable the trio would never have pulled on the red of Manchester United.
Matt Busby, who was appointed by Gibson as manager, went on to win the 1968 European Cup, four league titles and two FA Cups. He survived the Munich Air Crash of 1958, where many of his players perished. After his recovery, he helped rebuild the team and lay foundations for the future.
Busby’s success has been built on by current United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. It was under Ferguson that United won their19th English League overtaking Liverpool’s record of 18.
United have established a buccaneering style of play, which this season has been epitomised by forward Robin van Persie, who is pictured here celebrating with Danny Welbeck. Since joining United from Arsenal in the summer, Van Persie has scored 16 English Premier League goals.
Real Madrid ($650.5 million) and Barcelona ($613 million) lead the way at the top of the chart by some considerable distance over English champion Manchester United ($502.4) . The top six places remain unchanged from last year.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has become an integral part of the club’s success both on and off the pitch with the Spanish giant leading the Football Money League table for the eighth year in a row.
Leo Messi’s goals and success has been key to Barcelona’s ability to draw in fans and broadcasters at will. It is the fourth year in a row that the club has finished second in the Football Money League table behind arch-rival Real Madrid.
Robin van Persie, a $38 million summer signing, has helped Manchester United reach the top of the Premier League as it looks to wrestle the title back from rival Manchester City. United, which has recently signed a record shirt deal with General Motors, has been tipped to overhaul the top two over the coming years.
Last year’s European Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Chelsea remain in fouth and fifth but it is Manchester City which has surged up the table. The English champion was 12th last year but is now up to seventh with revenue of $362.4 million. 
European Champions League holder Chelsea is fifth in the money list. The London club has spent big money in recent years including the $80 million purchase of Spain striker Fernando Torres.
Borussia Dortmund leads the average attendance count with 79,900, beating Manchester United into second place. The matchday experience at Bundesliga clubs has seen attendances rise across the board with safe standing and cheaper tickets both key to its success.
.Arsenal stays sixth in the table despite it’s failure to win a single trophy since 2005. The club has also seen big name departures with Cesc Fabregas joining Barcelona and Robin van Persie moving to Manchester United
Manchester City’s Premier League title win catapulted the club up the Football Money League table and into seventh position. City’s revenue grew to $452.6 million, the largest absolute and relative growth of any Money League club.
