In what has a been a whirlwind morning in the soccer world, Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement has thrown up plenty of interesting and incredible stats that further reinforce his figure as the worlds greatest-ever club manager.
One stat that caught me eye was the number of managers other top clubs in Europe have appointed since Ferguson took charge of Manchester United in November 1986.
This long list of illustrious European clubs have ebbed and flowed between success and mediocrity, while all the time Ferguson steadily built the Manchester United soccer dynasty. Would any manager given 26 years at one club be able to replicate the same amount of success Ferguson had? No, not even close.
But let’s see just how many managers some of European soccer’s top team has had, in the same time frame that Ferguson has been in charge at Manchester United.
Real Madrid – 24
Inter Milan – 19
Chelsea – 18
Bayern Munich – 14
Juventus – 14
Manchester City – 14
AC Milan – 13
Quite staggering. The sheer will power and determination from Ferguson to keep striving for greatness every single season has allowed him to become the greatest manager Britain, Europe and the global game has ever seen. When you look at the list above of managers for each club, this number will only continue to grow larger in the coming years as the ruthless “win at all costs mentality” continues to strengthen its grip on the soccer world.
(More: Ferguson on time at Manchester United; “I have treasured my time here”)
Of course he hasn’t done it all on his own, with a huge backroom staff and family atmosphere that he created at Old Trafford, every single person (even down to the tea lady) was pulling in the same direction. They all wanted the same thing: what was best for Manchester United.
Now that his managerial career is almost over, Ferguson can take a back seat in the directors lounge knowing he built the club up to become one of the greatest in the modern era. The stadium, training ground and commercial entity are seen as perhaps the best in world soccer and Fergie takes great pride in leaving the Red Devils in such a healthy position both on and off the field.
(More: Sir Alex, the greatest manager in soccer history)
No doubt the stability aided his success, as level-headed chairman and directors trusted his managerial skills and reaped the ultimate rewards for over 25 years. They should get a pat on the back too.
