THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE is an extract from ‘Sir Alex: Simply the Best’.
Sir Alex opted to ‘retire’ then suddenly change his mind. The United board’s decision to appoint Sven-Göran Eriksson as his successor triggered the U-turn, according to one conspiracy theory. Not so, says the man who knows. That’s Pini Zahavi the agent who brokered the deal that would have taken Eriksson from the England team to Old Trafford.
According to one of my sources, Sir Alex feared that his great legacy would be under threat as Sven had all the credentials to rake in a haul of trophies once Sir Alex departed. Eriksson accepted the position of United manager, and had even signed a contract.
My source told me that Fergie had got wind of Eriksson’s appointment. “Fergie feared that Eriksson, who was on top of his game at this stage of his career, would be a huge hit at Old Trafford and would win up so many trophies that Fergie changed his mind and wanted to stay on as manager.”
From his home in Tel Aviv, Pini informed me, “When Sir Alex decided to quit the club were looking for somebody to replace him, of course, and they had decided to take Sven. I was involved and we almost closed the deal, but then Alex changed his mind.”
As for the conspiracy theory that Sir Alex got wind the deal and performed his infamous U-turn, “Not so”, insisted Pini, “his family made him change his mind, they told him he was too young to quit football entirely. They told him to stay in football, and that was the reason. It had nothing to do with Eriksson. In my view, Sir Alex did not know that Eriksson was even a candidate. It was only afterwards that he found out.”
In his autobiography, ‘Sven: My Story’, Eriksson wrote, “I had a contract with England until the 2006 World Cup and I would be severely criticised if I broke that contract. But this was an opportunity to manage Manchester United. A contract was signed. I was United’s new manager. One day I got a phone call from Pini Zahavi. He wanted to know if I could come for breakfast at a club in London the following morning. He did not want to say on the phone what it was about. It was very secretive.
‘Sure,’ I said, ‘No problem.’ When I arrived, Pini was there with Peter Kenyon, the chief executive of Manchester United. Straight off the bat, Kenyon asked me did I want the job as manager of Manchester United as of next season? I didn’t think about it, ‘Yes’ I said, ‘I do’ I would be able to stay with England through the World Cup. My appointment would not be made official until after the tournament.
“A contract was signed — I was United’s new manager. A couple of weeks passed and Pini called again. He wanted another meeting. When I got there, I knew something was wrong. Kenyon explained that Ferguson had changed his mind. He did not want to leave the club after all, but had agreed to stay in the job for another three years.
“I don’t know why Ferguson had changed his mind. In the papers, they wrote that his family thought he would miss football too much. Maybe his U-turn had to do with United’s relatively poor season. Surely Ferguson did not want to leave his career on anything but a high.
“I know that he was made aware that the club had picked me as his successor. Had he vetoed my appointment? It did not matter. He kept his job and I kept mine. But to this day, Pini has the signed contract where it says I was Manchester United’s new manager.”
Eriksson crossed swords with Fergie but also retained his enormous respect for him.
Again in his book, he writes, “Sir Alex Ferguson was a genuinely nice man. We met many times and even had dinner together on a few occasions.”
Eriksson knew that anyone who ‘bothered’ Fergie in any way would face the ‘hairdryer’. Erkisson knew Sir Alex, “Would not spare his venom” especially with England managers.
Eriksson described how Ferguson ‘caused a fuss’ before virtually every England friendly as he considered friendlies ‘completely useless’, a hindrance to his preparations for games, a source of concern about injuries, “Sometimes Ferguson would call at seven o’clock in the morning, ordering me not to select one of his players for a friendly. The player was injured or else he needed to rest, Ferguson claimed. I was not going to let Ferguson bully me. If I wanted a Manchester United player in my squad, I was going to select him.”
Sven recalls the FA’s anti-doping team turning up at United’s training camp to conduct tests on four randomly selected players, amongst them Rio Ferdinand, who missed the test.
Chief executive, Mark Palios, instructed Eriksson not to select Rio for the decisive Euro qualifier in Turkey. Ferguson called Eriksson, ‘at the crack of dawn.’ Eriksson wrote, “He wanted me to select Ferdinand in the squad, directly disobeying the order I had been given by my employer.
‘I can’t select Ferdinand’ I said. ‘You have to call and yell at someone else.’
During this conversation with the irate Fergie, he couldn’t help think just how close Sven came to replacing him at Old Trafford.
Eriksson had no problems with any of the club managers, except Ferguson, who defended United’s interests, ‘at any cost’.
Eriksson, though, admired it, “It was a good trait to have, but it made my job more difficult.”
Eriksson’s biggest ‘scrap’ was before the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Chelsea played United, 3-0 up with 10 minutes to go. The match was over yet Rooney threw himself into a tackle, coming off in agony.
The England team doctor, Leif Swärd, was at the game so Eriksson asked him to check on Rooney. When Ferguson saw Leif outside the dressing room, he pointed at him and said, “Don’t let him in.”
Rooney had broken a metatarsal, just as Beckham had done before the 2002 World Cup.
Later, Fergie called Eriksson, “You can’t pick Rooney for the World Cup.”
Eriksson, “Who says that?”
Fergie, “My doctor. Rooney is injured.”
Eriksson, “OK. Then I will come with my doctor to talk to you.”
They met Ferguson and United’s doctor at the United training ground. Rooney cannot play in the World Cup, Fergie was issuing a directive, not a request. The United doctor had X-rays that showed Rooney’s broken bone would not heal in time.
When the doctor finished, Leif asked, “Why do you sit here and lie to me?”
Eriksson recalled, “I thought Ferguson and his doctor would fall off their chairs. I almost fell off my own chair. I had never heard Leif even raise his voice.”
Leif told them that he had operated on similar breaks and did not accept their assumptions. Eriksson added, “I just wish I could have filmed Ferguson’s face, and his doctor’s when Leif explained that Wayne’s break would heal in time for the World Cup. Maybe he would have to miss the first game, but he would be ready for the second, no problem. When Leif had finished, I turned to Ferguson. “Sorry Alex,” I said, “I will pick Rooney.”
Before selecting his squad, Sir Alex called, screaming into the phone about making his life difficult if Rooney was selected contrary to his wishes.
Eriksson simply stated, “Alex, I wish you a very nice holiday, but I am going to select Wayne Rooney for the World Cup. Goodbye.” Eriksson hung up. It was the last time he spoke with Sir Alex during his time as England manager.
When Sir Alex finally did quit, David Moyes was assumed to be his recommendation, but he sounded out alternatives.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke of how Sir Alex approached him, but committed himself to Real instead. Ancelotti said, “I can say that I keep a fantastic relationship with Sir Alex. We met when he decided to stop but I was close to Real Madrid. I appreciate the fact at that time he talked to me. I’ve had no other opportunity to manage them.”
Fergie approached Jurgen Klopp when he was manager at Dortmund. Klopp was reported as saying, “Alex and I have contact, He texts to say, ‘This is my new number’ and I take it as a big honour. We have a really good relationship. We were friends from my point of view working together for something good and on Sunday, he wants Manchester United to win, and I want Liverpool to win. That is possible and still be friends.”
They joined forces for a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Society. Klopp believed it is impossible to emulate Sir Alex. “I don’t think it is possible anymore, to be honest. Other clubs didn’t have United’s combination of an exceptional manager and squad at that time but now a lot of clubs are similar. I am sure Fergie didn’t say at the beginning he’d win it 13 times. He did what he did and made good decisions.”
‘Sir Alex: Simply the Best’ by Harry Harris is published by Ad Lib. More info here.
