Alex Ferguson is retiring at the end of the season, bringing a close to a trophy-filled career of more than 26 years at Manchester United that established him as the most successful coach in British football history.
"The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly," the 71-year-old Scotsman said in a statement on Wednesday. "It is the right time."
The club, which is owned by the American Glazer family and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, did not immediately announce a successor.
Since taking charge at Old Trafford in 1986, Ferguson has won a total of 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League championships, two Champions League titles and five FA Cups.
"It was important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so," Ferguson said. "The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth setup will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one."
Ferguson will continue to loom large at United as he will remain as a club director and ambassador.
"His contributions to Manchester United over the last 26 years have been extraordinary and, like all United fans, I want him to be a part of its future," joint chairman Avie Glazer said.
Former United striker Michael Owen said Ferguson's record "will surely never be eclipsed."
Ferguson has defined the modern era of success at United, resuscitating the fortunes of a club that was floundering when he arrived more than a quarter of a century ago, having won a European title at modest Aberdeen in Scotland.
"In my early years, the backing of the board, and Sir Bobby Charlton in particular, gave me the confidence and time to build a football club, rather than just a football team," Ferguson said. "Over the past decade, the Glazer family have provided me with the platform to manage Manchester United to the best of my ability."
"We're open to any channel for the return of cultural relics," Song said.
Before United was listed on the NYSE last year, the club warned that "any successor to our current manager may not be as successful as our current manager."
"A downturn in the performance of our first team could adversely affect our ability to attract and retain coaches and players," United said in July.
【新闻快讯】
北京时间5月8日傍晚，曼联通过俱乐部官方网站正式对外宣布，主教练弗格森将在本赛季结束后退休。自此，弗格森在曼联26年的执教生涯，他在英格兰缔造的弗格森王朝宣告终结。
在谈到自己的退役决定时，弗格森表示绝非草率的决定，而是在最正确时机做出的决定。
此前，英国媒体已经曝出弗格森将要退役的传闻，但在北京时间今天下午5点，曼联在卡灵顿基地召开了新闻发布会，对弗格森可能宣布退休一事做出了回应。在发布会上，曼联确认主帅弗格森将退休。
对于72岁的爵爷来说，最大的遗憾就是今年没带曼联成功进入决赛，这个决定因此让人十分震惊。但弗格森自己很淡定，在谈到自己的退役决定时，弗格森说：“退休这一决定我已经考虑了很长时间了，并非草率做出的决定，我认为这是正确的时机。”
对此，弗格森也没有遗憾，老爷子说道，“对于我来说，我需要在球队最强的时候离开，我认为现在正合适，这可以保证球队在未来一段时间内有一个光明的未来。”
在曼联的帅位上执教27个年头弗格森共率领球队拿下了13个英超冠军，2个欧冠冠军，5个足总杯冠军、4个联赛杯冠军、1个世俱杯冠军、1个欧洲优胜者杯冠军，一个欧洲超级杯和10个社区盾冠军。作为英国足球史上最成功的主教练和曼联王朝的缔造者，弗格森是足坛史上最优秀的主教练之一。
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