Sir Alex Ferguson is set to make a surprise return to the dugout, according to one of his former players.
Ferguson won 38 trophies in 26 years at Old Trafford before retiring as a club legend n 2013.
He was handed a multi-million pound ambassadorial role with the club but was stripped of it by club’s new part owner INEOS, as part of a wide-ranging cost-cutting programme.
Fans have become accustomed to seeing the 83-year-old watching games from plush seats in the stands but he will taking the manager’s seat once again next month.
Former United striker Giuseppe Rossi will be hosting a farewell match at the Stadio Franchi in Florence on March 22.
Rossi hung up his boots in 2023 and will now celebrate his career with a friendly that will involve the likes of Luca Toni, Antonio Cassano, Sebastien Frey, Borja Valero and Gabriel Omar Batistuta.
Sir Alex Ferguson will return to the dugout for a friendly match in Florence next month
Giuseppe Rossi joined United at the age of 17 and made five appearances for the club
And Rossi has revealed that Ferguson will be coaching one of the sides on a day that has been labelled ‘Pepito Day’.
Rossi earned the nickname ‘Pepito Rossi’ during his time in LaLiga with Villarreal, a reference to namesake Paolo Rossi.
Rossi said: ‘Ferguson will be there as a coach. He was my first coach, I signed when I was 17.
‘I only did three years with him and played little, but he immediately said yes and this shows what kind of person he is.
‘I did little at United but he treats me like Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 1000 goals.’
Ferguson has returned to the dugout on the odd occasion since calling it a day, having managed games such as United’s treble reunion in 2019 and Michael Carrick’s testimonial.
Rossi began his professional career with United, joining the club at the age of 17.
He failed to make much of an impact, making just 14 appearances in three seasons and scoring four goals.
The forward went on to have much more success in Spain, scoring 82 goals in 192 games for Villarreal
