union	International Tennis Federation
first	19th century (Birmingham, England)
country/region	Worldwide
contact	No
team	Single or doubles
mgender	Yes, separate tours + mixed doubles
category	Racquet sport
equipment	Tennis ball, tennis racquet
venue	Indoor or outdoor tennis court
olympic	Part of Summer Olympic programme from 1896 to 1924Demonstrated in the 1968 and 1984 Summer OlympicsReturned to the Summer Olympic programme in 1988 to today
paralympic	Part of Summer Paralympic programme since 1992 }}

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including people in wheelchairs.

The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham, England in the late 19th century as "lawn tennis" which has close connections to various field/lawn games as well as to the ancient game of ''real tennis''. Up to then, "tennis" referred to the latter sport: for example, in Disraeli's novel ''Sybil'' (1845), Lord Eugene De Vere announces that he will "go down to Hampton Court and play tennis. As it is the Derby [classic horse race], nobody will be there". After its creation, lawn tennis spread throughout the upper-class English-speaking population before spreading around the world.

The rules of tennis have not changed much since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times, and the adoption of the tie-break in the 1970s. A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point challenge system, which allows a player to challenge the line (or chair) umpire's call of a point. Players have unlimited opportunities to challenge provided the challenges made are correct. However, once three incorrect challenges are made in a set, they cannot challenge again until the next set. If the set goes to a tie break, players are given one additional opportunity to challenge the call. This electronic review, currently called Hawk-Eye, is available at a limited number of high-level ATP and WTA tournaments.

Tennis is enjoyed by millions of recreational players and is also a hugely popular worldwide spectator sport, especially the four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as the "Majors"): the Australian Open played on hard courts, the French Open played on red clay courts, Wimbledon played on grass courts, and the US Open played also on hard courts.

History

Predecessors

While the modern game of tennis originated in late 19th century England, most historians believe that the games' ancient origin is from 12th century France, but the ball was then struck with the palm of the hand. It was not until the 16th century that rackets came into use, and the game began to be called "tennis", from the Old French term ''Tenez'', which can be translated as "hold!", "receive!" or "take!". An interjection used as a call from the server to his opponent. It was popular in England and France, although the game was only played indoors where the ball could be hit off the wall. Henry VIII of England was a big fan of this game, which is now known as real tennis. During the 18th century and early 19th century, as real tennis declined, new racquets sports emerged in England.

Origins of the modern game

Between 1859 and 1865 Harry Gem and his friend Augurio Perera developed a game that combined elements of rackets and the Basque ball game pelota, which they played on Perera's croquet lawn in Birmingham, United Kingdom. In 1872, along with two local doctors, they founded the world's first tennis club in Leamington Spa.

In December 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield designed and patented a similar game – which he called ''sphairistike'' (, from ancient Greek meaning "skill at playing at ball"), and was soon known simply as "sticky" — for the amusement of his guests at a garden party on his estate of Nantclwyd, in Llanelidan, Wales. Sport historians agree that Wingfield deserves much of the credit for the development of modern tennis. The world's oldest tennis tournament, the Wimbledon championships, were first played in London in 1877. The first Championships culminated a significant debate on how to standardize the rules.

In America in 1874 Mary Ewing Outerbridge, a young socialite, returned from Bermuda where she met Major Wingfield. She laid out a tennis court at the Staten Island Cricket Club at Camp Washington, Tompkinsville, New York. The first American National championship was played there in September 1880. An Englishman named O.E Woodhouse won the singles title, and a silver cup worth $100, by defeating Canadian J.F. Hellmuth. There was also a doubles match which was won by a local pair. There were different rules at each club. The ball in Boston was larger than the one normally used in New York. On May 21, 1881, the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association) was formed to standardize the rules and organize competitions. The U.S. National Men's Singles Championship, now the US Open, was first held in 1881 at the Newport Casino, Newport, Rhode Island. The U.S. National Women's Singles Championships were first held in 1887 in Philadelphia.

Tennis was also popular in France, where the French Championships dates to 1891 although at that time it was open only to tennis players who were members of French clubs. Thus, Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) became and have remained the most prestigious events in tennis. Together these four events are called the Majors or ''Slams'' (a term borrowed from bridge rather than baseball).

The comprehensive rules promulgated in 1924 by the International Lawn Tennis Federation, now known as the International Tennis Federation (ITF), have remained largely stable in the ensuing eighty years, the one major change being the addition of the ''tie-break'' system designed by James Van Alen. That same year, tennis withdrew from the Olympics after the 1924 Games but returned 60 years later as a 21-and-under demonstration event in 1984. This reinstatement was credited by the efforts by the then ITF President Philippe Chatrier, ITF General Secretary David Gray and ITF Vice President Pablo Llorens, and support from IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. The success of the event was overwhelming and the IOC decided to reintroduce tennis as a full medal sport at Seoul in 1988.

The Davis Cup, an annual competition between men's national teams, dates to 1900. The analogous competition for women's national teams, the Fed Cup, was founded as the Federation Cup in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the ITF.

In 1926, promoter C.C. Pyle established the first professional tennis tour with a group of American and French tennis players playing exhibition matches to paying audiences. The most notable of these early professionals were the American Vinnie Richards and the Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen. Once a player ''turned pro'' he or she could not compete in the major (amateur) tournaments. This resulted in a schism between the amateur and pro tennis ranks that would last until the advent of the Open Era.

In 1968, commercial pressures and rumors of some amateurs taking money under the table led to the abandonment of this distinction, inaugurating the open era, in which all players could compete in all tournaments, and top players were able to make their living from tennis. With the beginning of the open era, the establishment of an international professional tennis circuit, and revenues from the sale of television rights, tennis's popularity has spread worldwide, and the sport has shed its upper/middle-class English-speaking image (although it is acknowledged that this stereotype still exists).

In 1954, Van Alen founded the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a non-profit museum in Newport, Rhode Island. The building contains a large collection of tennis memorabilia as well as a hall of fame honoring prominent members and tennis players from all over the world. Each year, a grass-court tournament and an induction ceremony honoring new Hall of Fame members are hosted on its grounds.

Equipment

Part of the appeal of tennis stems from the simplicity of equipment required for play. Beginners need only a racquet and balls.

Racquets

The components of a tennis racquet include a handle, known as the grip, connected to a neck which joins a roughly elliptical frame that holds a matrix of tightly pulled strings. For the first 100 years of the modern game, racquets were of wood and of standard size, and strings were of animal gut. Laminated wood construction yielded more strength in racquets used through most of the 20th century until first metal and then composites of carbon graphite, ceramics, and lighter metals such as titanium were introduced. These stronger materials enabled the production of oversized rackets that yielded yet more power. Meanwhile technology led to the use of synthetic strings that match the feel of gut yet with added durability.

Under modern rules of tennis, the racquet must adhere to the following guidelines;

The hitting area, composed of the strings, must be flat and generally uniform.

The frame of the hitting area may not be more than 29 inches in length and 12.5 inches in width.

The entire racquet must be of a fixed shape, size, weight, and weight distribution. There may not be any energy source built into the racquet.

The racquet must not provide any kind of communication, instruction or advice to the player during the match.

The rules regarding racquets have changed over time, as material and engineering advances have been made. For example, the maximum length of the frame had been 32 inches until 1997, when it was shortened to 29 inches.

Balls

Tennis balls are of hollow rubber with a felt coating. Traditionally white, the predominant color was gradually changed to Optic Yellow in the latter part of the 20th century to allow for improved visibility. Tennis balls must conform to certain criteria for size, weight, deformation, and bounce criteria to be approved for regulation play. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) defines the official diameter as 65.41-68.58 mm (2.575-2.700 inches). Balls must weigh between 56.0 g and 59.4 g (1.975-2.095 ounces).

Miscellaneous

Advanced players improve their performance through a number of accoutrements. Vibration dampers may be interlaced in the proximal part of the string array for improved feel. Racket handles may be customized with absorbent or rubber-like materials to improve the players' grip. Players often use sweat bands on their wrists to keep their hands dry as well. Finally, although the game can be played in a variety of shoes, specialized tennis shoes have wide, flat soles for stability and a built-up front structure to avoid excess wear.

Manner of play

:''For individual terms see: Glossary of tennis''

Court

Tennis is played on a rectangular, flat surface, usually grass, clay, a hardcourt of concrete and/or asphalt and occasionally carpet (indoor). The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and 27 feet (8.23 m) wide for singles matches and 36 ft (10.97 m) for doubles matches. Additional clear space around the court is required in order for players to reach overrun balls. A net is stretched across the full width of the court, parallel with the baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts and 3 feet (91.4 cm) high in the center.'''

The modern tennis court owes its design to Major Walter Clopton Wingfield who, in 1873, patented a court much the same as the current one for his stické tennis (sphairistike). This template was modified in 1875 to the court design that exists today, with markings similar to Wingfield's version, but with the hourglass shape of his court changed to a rectangle.

Lines

The lines that delineate the width of the court are called the baseline (farthest back) and the service line (middle of the court). The short mark in the center of each baseline is referred to as either the hash mark or the center mark. The outermost lines that make up the length are called the doubles sidelines. These are the boundaries used when doubles is being played. The lines to the inside of the doubles sidelines are the singles sidelines and are used as boundaries in singles play. The area between a doubles sideline and the nearest singles sideline is called the doubles alley, which is considered playable in doubles play. The line that runs across the center of a player's side of the court is called the service line because the serve must be delivered into the area between the service line and the net on the receiving side. Despite its name, this is not where a player legally stands when making a serve. The line dividing the service line in two is called the center line or center service line. The boxes this center line creates are called the service boxes; depending on a player's position, he or she will have to hit the ball into one of these when serving. A ball is out only if none of it has hit the line or the area inside the lines upon its first bounce. All the lines are required to be between 1 and in width. The baseline can be up to wide if so desired.

Play of a single point

The players (or teams) start on opposite sides of the net. One player is designated the ''server'', and the opposing player is the ''receiver''. Service alternates game by game between the two players (or teams.) For each point, the server starts behind their baseline, between the center mark and the sideline. The receiver may start anywhere on their side of the net. When the receiver is ready, the server will serve, although the receiver must play to the pace of the server.

In a legal service, the ball travels past the net (without touching it) and into the diagonally opposite service box. If the ball hits the net but lands in the service box, this is a ''let'' or ''net service'', which is void, and the server gets to retake that serve. The player can serve any number of let services in a point and they are always treated as voids and not as faults. A fault is a serve that falls long or wide of the service box, or does not clear the net. There is also a "foot fault", which occurs when a player's foot touches the baseline or an extension of the center mark before the ball is hit. If the second service is also a fault, the server ''double faults,'' and the receiver wins the point. However, if the serve is in, it is considered a legal service.

A legal service starts a ''rally'', in which the players alternate hitting the ball across the net. A legal return consists of the player or team hitting the ball before it has bounced twice or hit any fixtures except the net, provided that it still falls in the server's court. A player or team cannot hit the ball twice in a row. The ball must travel past the net into the other players' court. A ball that hits the net during a rally is still considered a legal return. The first player or team to fail to make a legal return loses the point. The server then moves to the other side of the service line at the start of a new point.

Scoring

Match

The outcome of a tennis match is determined through a best of three or five ''sets'' system. Recreational players may agree to play any number of sets, depending upon time availability or stamina. On the professional circuit, men play best-of-five-set matches at all four Grand Slam tournaments, Davis Cup, and the final of the Olympic Games and best-of-three-set matches at all other tournaments, while women play best-of-three-set matches at all tournaments. For men, the first player to win three sets wins the match, and for women, the first player to win two sets wins the match. A set consists of ''games'', and games, in turn, consist of ''points''.

Game

A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving. A game is won by the first player to have won at least four points in total and at least two points more than the opponent. The running score of each game is described in a manner peculiar to tennis: scores from zero to three points are described as "''love''", "''fifteen''", "''thirty''", and "''forty''" respectively (see ''Tennis score''.) If at least three points have been scored by each player, making the player's scores equal at forty apiece, the score is not called out as "forty-forty", but rather as "''deuce''". If at least three points have been scored by each side and a player has one more point than his opponent, the score of the game is "''advantage''" for the player in the lead. During informal games, "''advantage''" can also be called "''ad in''" when the serving player is ahead, or "''ad out''" when the receiving player is ahead. The score of a tennis match during play is always read with the serving player's score first. In tournament play, the chair umpire calls the point count (e.g., "''fifteen-love''") after each point. At the end of a game, the chair umpire also announces the winner of the game and the overall score.

Game point

A ''game point'' occurs in tennis whenever the player who is in the lead in the game needs only one more point to win the game. The terminology is extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even championships (championship point). For example, if the player who is serving has a score of 40-love, the player has a triple game point (triple set point, etc.) as the player has three consecutive chances to win the game. Game points, set points, and match points are not part of official scoring and are not announced by the chair umpire in tournament play.

Break point

A ''break point'' occurs if the receiver, not the server, has a chance to win the game with the next point. Break points are of particular importance because serving is generally considered advantageous, with the server being expected to win games in which they are serving. A receiver who has one (score of 30–40), two (score of 15–40) or three (score of love-40) consecutive chances to win the game has ''break point'', ''double break point'' or ''triple break point'', respectively. If the receiver does, in fact, win their break point, the game is awarded to the receiver, and the receiver is said to have ''converted'' their break point. If the receiver fails to win their break point it is called a ''failure to convert.'' Winning break points, and thus the game, is also referred to as ''breaking serve'', as the receiver has disrupted, or ''broken'' the natural advantage of the server. If in the following game the previous server also wins a break point, it is often referred to as ''breaking back''.

Set

A set consists of a sequence of games played with service alternating between games, ending when the count of games won meets certain criteria. Typically, a player wins a set by winning at least six games and at least two games more than the opponent. If one player has won six games and the opponent five, an additional game is played. If the leading player wins that game, the player wins the set 7–5. If the trailing player wins the game, a ''tie-break'' is played. A tie-break, played under a separate set of rules, allows one player to win one more game and thus the set, to give a final set score of 7–6. Only in the final sets of matches at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, the Olympic Games, Davis Cup, and Fed Cup are tie-breaks not played. In these cases, sets are played indefinitely until one player has a two-game lead. A "love" set means that the loser of the set won zero games. In tournament play, the chair umpire announces the winner of the set and the overall score.

In tournament play, the chair umpire announces the end of the match with the well-known phrase "''Game, set, match''" followed by the winning person's or team's name. The final score in sets is always read with the winning player's score first, even if the winning player loses set(s) during the match (e.g., "''6–2, 4–6, 6–0, 7–5''").

Rule variations

+Variations	Name	!Description
No ad	Scoring method created by Jimmy Van Alen. The first player or doubles team to win four points wins the game, regardless of whether the player or team is ahead by two points. When the game score reaches three points each, the receiver chooses which side of the court (advantage court or deuce court) the service is to be delivered on the seventh and game-deciding point. Utilized by World Team Tennis professional competition (USA).
Pro set	Instead of playing multiple sets, players may play one "pro set". A pro set is first to 8 (or 10) games by a margin of two games, instead of first to 6 games. A 12-point tie-break is usually played when the score is 8–8 (or 10–10). These are often played with no-ad scoring.
Match tiebreak	This is sometimes played instead of a third set. This is played like a regular tiebreak, but the winner must win ten points instead of seven. Match tiebreaks are used in the Hopman Cup for mixed doubles, on the Association of Tennis Professionals

Another, however informal, tennis format is called [[Canadian doubles. This involves three players, with one person playing a doubles team. The single player gets to utilize the alleys normally reserved only for a doubles team. Conversely, the doubles team does not use the alleys when executing a shot. The scoring is the same as a regular game. This format is not sanctioned by any official body.

"Australian doubles", another informal and unsanctioned form of tennis, is played with similar rules to the Canadian doubles style, only in this version, players rotate court position after each game. As such, each player plays doubles and singles over the course of a match, with the singles player always serving. Scoring styles vary, but one popular method is to assign a value of 2 points to each game, with the server taking both points if he or she holds serve and the doubles team each taking one if they break serve.

Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied players as well as people who require a wheelchair for mobility. An extra bounce is permitted. This rule makes it possible to have mixed wheelchair and able-bodied matches. It is possible for a doubles team to consist of a wheelchair player and an able-bodied player (referred to as "one-up, one-down"), or for a wheelchair player to play against an able-bodied player. In such cases, the extra bounce is permitted for the wheelchair users only.

Surface

There are five types of court surface used in professional play. Each surface is different in the speed and height of the bounce of the ball. The same surface plays faster indoors than outdoors.

Surface	!Description
	Examples are red clay (used at the French Open and many other tournaments, especially in Europe and Latin America) and green clay (an example of which is Har-Tru and used mainly in the U.S.). Clay courts normally have a slower paced ball and a fairly true bounce with more spin.
Carpet	Any form of removable court covering, including carpeting and artificial turf. The bounce can be higher or lower than a hard court. Carpet surface has not been used on the ATP and WTA tour since 2009.
Wood	Popular from the 1880s through the first half of the 20th century, there are no longer any professional tournaments held on wood.

Officials

In most professional play and some amateur competition, there is an officiating head judge or chair umpire (usually referred to as the umpire), who sits in a raised chair to one side of the court. The umpire has absolute authority to make factual determinations. The umpire may be assisted by line judges, who determine whether the ball has landed within the required part of the court and who also call foot faults. There also may be a net judge who determines whether the ball has touched the net during service. In some tournaments, certain line judges, those who would be calling the serve, are assisted by electronic sensors that beep when an out call would have been made. This was called "Cyclops;" however, since the introduction of Hawkeye technology, Cyclops is pretty much extinct now. In some professional tournaments, players are allowed to challenge a limited number of close calls by means of electronic review. The US Open, the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, the US Open Series, and World Team Tennis started using a "challenge" system in 2006 and the Australian Open and Wimbledon introduced the system in 2007. This used the Hawk-Eye system and the rules were similar to those used in the NFL, a player may use unlimited challenges in a set, provided that he or she is not incorrect more than three times. In clay-court matches, such as at the French Open, a call may be questioned by reference to the mark left by the ball's impact on the court surface.

The referee, who is usually located off the court, is the final authority about tennis rules. When called to the court by a player or team captain, the referee may overrule the umpire's decision if the tennis rules were violated (question of law) but may not change the umpire's decision on a question of fact. If, however, the referee is on the court during play, the referee may overrule the umpire's decision (This would ONLY happen in Davis Cup or Fed Cup matches, not at the World Group level, when a chair umpire from a non-neutral country is in the chair).

Ball boys and girls may be employed to retrieve balls, pass them to the players, and hand players their towels. They have no adjudicative role. In rare events (e.g., if they are hurt or if they have caused a hindrance), the umpire may ask them for a statement of what actually happened. The umpire may consider their statements when making a decision. In some leagues, especially junior leagues, players make their own calls, trusting each other to be honest. This is the case for many school and university level matches. The referee or referee's assistant, however, can be called on court at a player's request, and the referee or assistant may change a player's call. In unofficiated matches, a ball is out only if the player entitled to make the call is sure that the ball is out.

Junior tennis

In tennis, a junior is a player 18 and under who is still legally protected by a parent or guardian. Players on the main adult tour who are under 18 must have documents signed by a parent or guardian. These players, however, are still eligible to play in junior tournaments.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) conducts a junior tour that allows juniors to establish a world ranking and an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) or Women's Tennis Association (WTA) ranking. Most juniors who enter the international circuit do so by progressing through ITF, Satellite, Future, and Challenger tournaments before entering the main circuit. The latter three circuits also have adults competing in them. Some juniors, however, such as Australian Lleyton Hewitt and Frenchman Gaël Monfils, have catapulted directly from the junior tour to the ATP tour by dominating the junior scene or by taking advantage of opportunities given to them to participate in professional tournaments.

In 2004, the ITF implemented a new rankings scheme to encourage greater participation in doubles, by combining two rankings (singles and doubles) into one combined tally. Junior tournaments do not offer prize money except for the Grand Slam tournaments, which are the most prestigious junior events. Juniors may earn income from tennis by participating in the Future, Satellite, or Challenger tours. Tournaments are broken up into different tiers offering different amounts of ranking points, culminating with Grade A.

Leading juniors are allowed to participate for their nation in the Junior Fed Cup and Davis Cup competitions as well. To succeed in tennis often means having to begin playing at a young age. To facilitate and nurture a junior's growth in tennis, almost all tennis playing nations have developed a junior development system. Juniors develop their play through a range of tournaments on all surfaces, accommodating all different standards of play. Talented juniors may also receive sponsorships from governing bodies or private institutions.

Match play

A tennis match is intended to be continuous. Because stamina is a relevant factor, arbitrary delays are not permitted. In most cases, service is required to occur no more than 20 seconds after the end of the previous point. This is increased to 90 seconds when the players change ends (after every odd-numbered game), and a 2 minute break is permitted between sets. Other than this, breaks are permitted only when forced by events beyond the players' control, such as rain, damaged footwear, damaged racquet, or the need to retrieve an errant ball. Should a player be determined to be stalling repeatedly, the chair umpire may initially give a warning followed by subsequent penalties of "point", "game", and default of the match for the player who is consistently taking longer than the allowed time limit.

In the event of a rain delay, darkness or other external conditions halting play, the match is resumed at a later time, with the same score as at the time of the delay, and the players at the same end of the court when rain halted play, or at the same position (north or south) if play is resumed on a different court.

Balls wear out quickly in serious play and, therefore, in ATP and WTA tournaments, they are changed after every nine games with the first change occurring after only seven games, because the first set of balls is also used for the pre-match warm-up. As a courtesy to the receiver, the server will often signal to the receiver before the first serve of the game in which new balls are used as a reminder that they are using new balls. However, in ITF tournaments like Fed Cup, the balls are changed in a 9–11 style. Continuity of the balls' condition is considered part of the game, so if a re-warm-up is required after an extended break in play (usually due to rain), then the re-warm-up is done using a separate set of balls, and use of the match balls is resumed only when play resumes.

A recent proposed rules change is to allow coaching on court during a match on a limited basis. This has been instituted in women's tennis for WTA Tour events from 2009 onwards.

Shots

A competent tennis player has eight basic shots in his or her repertoire: the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and lob.

Serve

A serve (or, more formally, a "service") in tennis is a shot to start a point. The serve is initiated by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it (usually near the apex of its trajectory) into the diagonally opposite service box without touching the net. The serve may be hit under- or overhand. If the ball hits the net on the first serve and bounces over into the correct diagonal box then it is called a "let" and the server gets two more additional serves to get it in. If the server misses his or her first serve and gets a let on the second serve, then they get one more try to get the serve in the box.

Experienced players strive to master the conventional overhand serve to maximize its power and placement. The server may employ different types of serve including flat serve, topspin serve, slice serve, and kick (American twist) serve. A reverse type of spin serve is hit in a manner that spins the ball opposite the natural spin of the server, the spin direction depending upon right- or left-handedness. If the ball is spinning counterclockwise, it will curve right from the hitter's point of view and curve left if spinning clockwise.

Some servers are content to use the serve simply to initiate the point; however, advanced players often try to hit a winning shot with their serve. A winning serve that is not touched by the opponent is called an "ace".

Grips

Players use various grips during play, including the continental (The "Handshake Grip"), eastern (Can be either semi-eastern or full eastern. Usually used for backhands.), and western (semi-western or full western, usually for forehand grips) grips. Most players change grips during a match depending on what shot they are hitting; for example, slice shots and serves call for a continental grip.

Forehand

For a right-handed player, the forehand is a stroke that begins on the right side of the body, continues across the body as contact is made with the ball, and ends on the left side of the body. There are various grips for executing the forehand, and their popularity has fluctuated over the years. The most important ones are the ''continental'', the ''eastern'', the ''semi-western'', and the ''western''. For a number of years, the small, apparently frail 1920s player Bill Johnston was considered by many to have had the best forehand of all time, a stroke that he hit shoulder-high using a ''western'' grip. Few top players used the ''western'' grip after the 1920s, but in the latter part of the 20th century, as shot-making techniques and equipment changed radically, the ''western'' forehand made a strong comeback and is now used by many modern players. No matter which grip is used, most forehands are generally executed with one hand holding the racquet, but there have been fine players with two-handed forehands. In the 1940s and 50s, the Ecuadorian/American player Pancho Segura used a two-handed forehand to achieve a devastating effect against larger, more powerful players. Players such as Monica Seles or France's Fabrice Santoro and Marion Bartoli are also notable players known for their two-handed forehands.

Backhand

For right-handed players, the backhand is a stroke that begins on the left side of their body, continues across their body as contact is made with the ball, and ends on the right side of their body. It can be executed with either one hand or with both and is generally considered more difficult to master than the forehand. For most of the 20th century, the backhand was performed with one hand, using either an ''eastern'' or a ''continental'' grip. The first notable players to use two hands were the 1930s Australians Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich, but they were lonely exceptions. The two-handed grip gained popularity in the 1970s as Björn Borg, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, and later Mats Wilander and Marat Safin used it to great effect, and it is now used by a large number of the world's best players, including Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. Two hands give the player more control, while one hand can generate a slice shot, applying backspin on the ball to produce a low trajectory bounce. Reach is also limited with the two-handed shot. The player long considered to have had the best backhand of all time, Don Budge, had a powerful one-handed stroke in the 1930s and 1940s that imparted topspin onto the ball. Ken Rosewall, another player noted for his one-handed backhand, used a very accurate slice backhand through the 1950s and 1960s. A small number of players, notably Monica Seles, use two hands on both the backhand and forehand sides.

Other shots

A ''volley'' is a shot returned to the opponent in mid-air before the ball bounces, generally performed near the net, and is usually made with a stiff-wristed punching motion to hit the ball into an open area of the opponent's court. The ''half volley'' is made by hitting the ball on the rise just after it has bounced, once again generally in the vicinity of the net. The ''swinging volley'' is hit out of the air as the player approaches the net. It is an offensive shot used to take preparation time away from the opponent, as it returns the ball into the opponent's court much faster than a standard volley. From a poor defensive position on the baseline, the ''lob'' can be used as either an offensive or defensive weapon, hitting the ball high and deep into the opponent's court to either enable the lobber to get into better defensive position or to win the point outright by hitting it over the opponent's head. If the lob is not hit deeply enough into the other court, however, an opponent near the net may then hit an ''overhead smash'', a hard, serve-like shot, to try to end the point. Finally, if an opponent is deep in his court, a player may suddenly employ an unexpected ''drop shot'', by softly tapping the ball just over the net so that the opponent is unable to run in fast enough to retrieve it. Advanced players will often apply back spin to a drop shot, causing the ball to "skid" upon landing and bounce sideways, with less forward momentum toward their opponent, or even backwards towards the net, thus making it even more difficult to return.

Tournaments

Tournaments are often organized by gender and number of players. Common tournament configurations include men's singles, women's singles, and doubles, where two players play on each side of the net. Tournaments may be arranged for specific age groups, with upper age limits for youth and lower age limits for senior players. Example of this include the Orange Bowl and Les Petits As junior tournaments. There are also tournaments for players with disabilities, such as wheelchair tennis and deaf tennis. In the four Grand Slam tournaments, the singles draws are limited to 128 players for each gender.

Most large tournaments Seed players, but players may also be matched by their skill level. According to how well a person does in sanctioned play, a player is given a rating that is adjusted periodically to maintain competitive matches. For example, the United States Tennis Association administers the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP), which rates players between 1.0 and 7.0 in 1/2 point increments. Average club players under this system would rate 3.0–4.5 while world class players would be 7.0 on this scale.

Grand Slam tournaments

The four Grand Slam tournaments are considered to be the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world. They are held annually and include, in chronological order, the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Apart from the Olympic Games, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, and Hopman Cup, they are the only tournaments regulated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The ITF's national associations, Tennis Australia (Australian Open), the French Tennis Federation (French Open), the United States Tennis Association (US Open), and the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and Lawn Tennis Association (Wimbledon), are delegated the responsibility to organize these events.

Aside from the historical significance of these events, they also carry larger prize funds than any other tour event and are worth double the number of ranking points to the champion than in the next echelon of tournaments, the Masters 1000 (men) and Premier events (women). Another distinguishing feature is the number of players in the singles draw. There are 128, more than any other professional tennis tournament. This draw is composed of 32 seeded players, other players ranked in the world's top 100, qualifiers, and players who receive invitations through wild cards. Grand Slam men's tournaments have best-of-five set matches while the women play best-of-three. Grand Slam tournaments are among the small number of events that last two weeks, the others being the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California and the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. Currently, the Grand Slam tournaments are the only tour events that have mixed doubles contests. Grand Slam tournaments are held in conjunction with wheelchair tennis tournaments (with the exception being Wimbledon, where the grass surface prevents this) and junior tennis competitions. These tournaments also contain their own idiosyncrasies. For example, players at Wimbledon are required to wear predominantly white. Andre Agassi chose to skip Wimbledon from 1988 through 1990 citing the event's traditionalism, particularly its "predominantly white" dress code. Wimbledon has its own particular methods for disseminating tickets, often leading tennis fans to follow complex procedures to obtain tickets.

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="background:#f7f8ff; font-size:95%; border:gray solid 1px; border-collapse:collapse;" |+Grand Slam Tournaments !Period !Tournament !Location !Surface !Prize Money !First Held |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | January || Australian Open || Melbourne || Hard (Plexicushion) || align="right"|A$26,000,000 || 1905 |- | May–June || French Open || Paris || Clay || align="right"| €18,718,000 || 1925^* |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | June–July || Wimbledon || London || Grass || align="right" |£14,600,000 || 1877 |- | August–September ||US Open || New York City || Hard (DecoTurf) || align="right"|US$21,016,000 || 1881 |}

non-international tournament began in 1891

Masters 1000

The ATP World Tour Masters 1000 is a group of nine tournaments that form the second-highest echelon in men's tennis. Each event is held annually, and a win at one of these events is currently worth 1000 ranking points. When the Association of Tennis Professionals, led by Hamilton Jordan, began running the men's tour in 1990, the directors designated the top nine tournaments, outside of the Grand Slam events, as "Super Nine" events. These eventually became the Tennis Masters Series. In November at the end of the tennis year, the world's top eight players compete in the ATP World Tour Finals, a tournament with a rotating locale. It is currently held in London, England.

On August 31, 2007 the ATP announced major changes taking place in 2009. The Masters Series was renamed to the “Masters 1000”, the addition of the number 1000 referring to the number of ranking points earned by the winner of each tournament. Contrary to earlier plans, the number of tournaments was not reduced from nine to eight and the Monte Carlo Masters remains part of the series although, unlike the other events, it does not have a mandatory player commitment. The Hamburg Masters has been downgraded to a 500 point event. The Madrid Masters moved to May and onto clay courts, and a new tournament in Shanghai took over Madrid's former indoor October slot. As of 2011 six of the nine “1000” level tournaments are combined ATP and WTA events.

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="background:#f7f8ff; font-size:95%; border:gray solid 1px; border-collapse:collapse;" |+Masters 1000 tournaments !Start Month !Tournament Name !City !Surface !Opening |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | March | BNP Paribas Open | Indian Wells | Hard | Outdoors |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | March | Sony Ericsson Open | Miami | Hard | Outdoors |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | April | Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters | Monte-Carlo | Clay | Outdoors |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | May | Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid | Madrid | Clay | Outdoors |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | May | Internazionali BNL d'Italia | Rome | Clay | Outdoors |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | August | Rogers Cup | Montreal, Toronto | Hard | Outdoors |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | August | Western & Southern Financial Group Masters & Women's Open | Cincinnati | Hard | Outdoors |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | October | Shanghai Masters 1000 presented by Rolex | Shanghai | Hard | Outdoors |- style="background:#EFEFEF;" | November | BNP Paribas Masters | Paris | Hard | Indoors |}

250 and 500 Series

The International Series for men is split into two categories, both run by the ATP: the 250 Series and 500 Series. Like the Masters 1000, these events offer various amounts of prize money, and some regular International Series events offer larger prize monies than 500 Series tournaments. The Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships offer the largest financial incentive to players, with total prize money of US$1,426,000.

Challenger Tour and Futures tournaments

The Challenger Tour for men is the lowest level of tournament administered by the ATP. It is composed of roughly 160 events and, as a result, features a more diverse range of countries hosting events. The majority of players use the Challenger Series to work their way up the rankings, including World No. 1s Pete Sampras, Marcelo Ríos, Patrick Rafter, and Gustavo Kuerten. Andre Agassi, between winning Grand Slam tournaments, plummeted to World No. 141 and used Challenger Series events for match experience and to progress back up the rankings. The Challenger Series offers prize funds of between US$25,000 and US$150,000.

Below the Challenger Tour are the Futures tournaments, events on the ITF Men's Circuit. These tournaments also contribute towards a player's ATP rankings points. Futures Tournaments offer prize funds of between US$10,000 and US$15,000. Approximately 530 Futures Tournaments are played each year.

Premier events

Premier events for women form the most prestigious level of events on the Women's Tennis Association Tour after the Grand Slam tournaments. These events offer the largest rewards in terms of points and prize money. Within the Premier category are Premier Mandatory, Premier 5, and Premier tournaments. The tiering system in women's tennis was introduced in 1988. At the time of its creation, only two tournaments, the Lipton International Players Championships in Florida and the German Open in Berlin, comprised the Tier I category. In 2009, four tournaments are Premier Mandatory, five tournaments are Premier 5, and ten tournaments are Premier.

Players

Professional tennis players enjoy the same relative perks as most top sports personalities: clothing, equipment and endorsements. Like players of other individual sports such as golf, they are not salaried, but must play and finish highly in tournaments to obtain money. the "Big Four" men's tennis players includes Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray

In recent years, some controversy has surrounded the involuntary or deliberate noise caused by players` grunting.

Grand Slam tournament winners

The following players have won at least five singles titles at Grand Slam tournaments:

Male

Roger Federer (16)

Pete Sampras (14)

Roy Emerson (12)

Rod Laver (11)

Björn Borg (11)

Bill Tilden 10

Rafael Nadal (10)

Fred Perry (8)

Ken Rosewall (8)

Jimmy Connors (8)

Ivan Lendl (8)

Andre Agassi (8)

William Renshaw (7)

Richard Sears (7)

William Larned (7)

Henri Cochet (7)

Rene Lacoste (7)

John Newcombe (7)

John McEnroe (7)

Mats Wilander (7)

Lawrence Doherty

Anthony Wilding

Donald Budge (6)

Jack Crawford (6)

Boris Becker (6)

Stefan Edberg (6)

Frank Sedgman (5)

Tony Trabert (5)

Novak Djokovic (5)

Female

Margaret Court (24)

Steffi Graf (22)

Helen Wills Moody (19)

Chris Evert (18)

Martina Navrátilová (18)

Serena Williams (13)

Billie Jean King (12)

Maureen Connolly (9)

Monica Seles (9)

Molla Bjurstedt (8)

Suzanne Lenglen (8)

Dorothea Douglass (7)

Maria Bueno (7)

Evonne Goolagong Cawley (7)

Venus Williams (7)

Justine Henin (7)

Doris Hart (6)

Louise Brough (6)

Blanche Bingley (6)

Margaret Osborne (6)

Nancye Wynne (6)

Lottie Dod (5)

Alice Marble (5)

Helen Jacobs (5)

Charlotte Cooper (5)

Pauline Betz (5)

Althea Gibson (5)

Daphne Akhurst (5)

Martina Hingis (5)

Greatest male players

A frequent topic of discussion among tennis fans and commentators is who was the greatest male singles player of all time. By a large margin, an Associated Press poll in 1950 named Bill Tilden as the greatest player of the first half of the 20th century. From 1920–1930, Tilden won singles titles at Wimbledon three times and the U.S. Championships seven times. In 1938, however, Donald Budge became the first person to win all four major singles titles during the same calendar year, the Grand Slam, and won six consecutive major titles in 1937 and 1938. Tilden called Budge "the finest player 365 days a year that ever lived." And in his 1979 autobiography, Jack Kramer said that, based on consistent play, Budge was the greatest player ever. Some observers, however, also felt that Kramer deserved consideration for the title. Kramer was among the few who dominated amateur and professional tennis during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Tony Trabert has said that of the players he saw before the start of the open era, Kramer was the best male champion. By the latter half of the 1950s and 1960s, Budge and others had added Pancho Gonzales and Lew Hoad to the list of contenders. Budge reportedly believed that Gonzales was the greatest player ever. Gonzales said about Hoad, "When Lew's game was at its peak nobody could touch him.  ... I think his game was the best game ever. Better than mine. He was capable of making more shots than anybody. His two volleys were great. His overhead was enormous. He had the most natural tennis mind with the most natural tennis physique."

During the open era, first Rod Laver and then more recently Björn Borg and Pete Sampras were regarded by many of their contemporaries as among the greatest ever. Andre Agassi, the first of two male players in history to have achieved a Career Golden Slam in singles tennis (followed by Rafael Nadal), has been called the best service returner in the history of the game. He is the first man to win slams on all modern surfaces (previous holders of all slams played in an era of grass and clay only), and is regarded by a number of critics and fellow players to be among the greatest players of all time. Roger Federer is now considered by many observers to have the most "complete" game in modern tennis. He has won 16 grand slam titles, the most for any male player. Many experts of tennis, former tennis players and his own tennis peers believe Federer is the greatest player in the history of the game. Federer's biggest rival Rafael Nadal is regarded as the greatest competitor in tennis history by former players and is regarded to have the potential to be the greatest of all time.

Greatest female players

In popular culture

David Foster Wallace, an amateur tennis player himself at Urbana High School in Illinois, included tennis in many of his works of nonfiction and fiction including "Tennis Player Michael Joyce's Professional Artistry as a Paradigm of Certain Stuff about Choice, Freedom, Discipline, Joy, Grotesquerie, and Human Completeness," the autobiographical piece "Derivative Sport in Tornado Alley," and ''Infinite Jest'', which is partially set at the fictional "Enfield Tennis Academy" in Massachusetts. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) features Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson), a tennis pro who suffers from depression and has a breakdown on court in front of thousands of fans. ''Wimbledon'' (2004) is a film about a discouraged pro tennis player (Paul Bettany) who meets a young woman on the women's tennis circuit (Kirsten Dunst) who helps him find his drive to go and win Wimbledon. In The Squid and the Whale (2005), Joan (Laura Linney) has an affair with her kids' tennis coach, Ivan (William Baldwin). In a symbolic scene, Joan's ex-husband, Bernard (Jeff Daniels), loses a tennis match against Ivan in front of the kids. Woody Allen's Match Point (2005) features a love affair between a former tennis pro (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who falls in love with his best friend's fiance (Scarlett Johansson).

Confetti (2006) is a mockumentary which sees three couples competing to win the title of "Most Original Wedding of the Year". One competing couple (Meredith MacNeill and Stephen Mangan) are a pair of hyper-competitive professional tennis players holding a tennis-themed wedding.

There are several tennis video games including Mario Tennis, the TopSpin series, Wii Sports, and Grand Slam Tennis.

In the Japanese anime and manga series known as Prince of Tennis, the main character is Echizen Ryoma, a tennis prodigy who recently moves to Japan and attends Seishun Academy. He joins the tennis club and has defeated many of his upperclassmen, gaining a spot in the team's regulars. The team's ultimate goal is to compete in the National Middle School Tennis Championship but they must play against other teams along the way to reach their goal.

See also

;General

Tennis strategy

Tennis games

Glossary of tennis

Tennis technology

History of tennis

;Other forms

Paddle tennis

Real tennis

Soft tennis

Turbo tennis

Types of tennis match

''Mario Tennis'' ;Statistics

Tennis statistics

Tennis male players statistics

Major professional tennis tournaments before the Open Era (1927–1967)

World number one male tennis player rankings (1913–2009)

List of ATP number 1 ranked players (1973–present)

List of WTA number 1 ranked players (1975–present)

Tennis players with most titles since 1968

Tennis performance timeline comparison (men)

Tennis performance timeline comparison (women)

ATP World Tour records

WTA Tour records

References

;Notes

Further reading

Collins, Bud ''History of Tennis - An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book'' (New Chapter Press, 2010) ISBN 978-0942257700

Whitman, Malcolm D. ''Tennis - Origins and Mysteries'' (Dover Publications, 2004) ISBN 0-486-43357-9

Grimsley, Will ''Tennis - Its History, People and Events (Prentice-Hall, 1971) ISBN 0-13-903377-7

Danzig, Allison and Peter Schwed (ed.) ''The Fireside Book of Tennis'' (Simon and Schuster, 1972) ISBN 978-0671211288

Gillmeister, Heiner ''Tennis: A Cultural History'' (Continuum, 1998) ISBN 978-0718501952

Barrett, John ''Wimbledon: The Official History of the Championships'' (HarperCollins, 2001) ISBN 978-0007117079

Dwight, Eleanor ''Tie Breaker - Jimmy Van Alen and Tennis in the 20th Century'' (Scala Books, 2010) ISBN 978-1-905377-40-4

Doherty, Reginald Frank ''R.F. and H.L. Doherty - On Lawn Tennis'' (Kessinger Publishing, 2010) ISBN 978-1-167085895

King, Billie Jean and Starr, Cynthia ''We Have Come a Long Way'' (McGraw-Hill, 1998) ISBN 0-07024-625-9

Whitehead, Dave ''The Tennis Junkie's Guide (To Serious Humor)''. (iUniverse, 2002) ISBN 0-595-65364-2

External links

;International organizations

International Tennis Federation (ITF)

Association of Tennis Players (ATP) : Men's Professional Tennis Organization

Women's Tennis Association (WTA) : Women's Professional Tennis Organization

;Team competitions

Davis Cup

Fed Cup

;Other

International Tennis Hall of Fame

Tennis Grand Slam tournaments history

Category:Racquet sports Category:Sports originating in England Category:Ball games Category:Olympic sports

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{{infobox football biography | name	Roberto Mancini | image

Roberto Mancini (; born 27 November 1964) is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City. As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa Italias and the Cup Winners Cup, whilst being capped 36 times by Italy.

As a player, he gained a penchant for becoming a future manager and would often give team talks at half-time and ultimately became an assistant to Sven-Göran Eriksson at Lazio in the twilight of his playing career. After his retirement, Mancini embarked on a successful managerial career. A cup specialist, Mancini had never failed to reach a semi-final of a major national cup competition, from 2002 to 2011. He also guided the Italian clubs he managed to a record 5 consecutive Coppa Italia finals from 2004 to 2008, with Lazio once in 2004 and with Inter in the following four seasons.

Mancini's first managerial role was at a cash stricken Fiorentina at only 35 years old and managed to win a Coppa Italia, but left with Fiorentina facing bankruptcy. Months later, he took over as manager at Lazio, where again he inherited financial constraints and was forced to lose a number of key players. With limited resources during his two season tenure, he still managed to win another Coppa Italia, reach a UEFA Cup semi-final, and secure a lucrative Champions League place.

In 2004, Mancini was given the chance to manage a major club, being offered the manager's job at Internazionale. During his tenure at Inter, the club won three consecutive Serie A titles (an Inter club record) and a European record 17 consecutive league game victories stretching nearly half a season. and became Inter's most successful manager in 30 years. Despite his domestic success, many pundits saw the repeated failure to win the coveted Champions League as the main reason for his sacking in 2008.

After being out of football for over a year, Mancini was appointed Manchester City manager in December 2009 and his team-building achievements at Lazio and Inter were a factor in his appointment. In the 2010-11 season, his first full season at City, Mancini guided the club to Champions League football and the FA Cup, and has moulded City into a sound defensive unit. He maintains a tradition of wearing a scarf of his club's colours, something which has been continued at Manchester City.

Early life

Mancini was born in the small town of Iesi, Marche, in 1964, but then moved onto the mountain town of Rocadaspida and was raised by Aldo and Marianna Mancini along with his younger sister Stephanie. Raised a Roman Catholic, his young life in Iesi revolved around religion and football. He was an altar boy and played for the local ''Aurora Calcio'' football team in his youth. On one occasion, a fixture clashed with his first Holy Communion. Halfway through the ceremony, the eight-year-old Mancini was nowhere to be seen. His local priest who was administering his first communion frequently coached football, he heard they were losing 2–0 at half-time and so he asked a young Mancini quietly after receiving his communion if he had his football kit and boots with him. Roberto said they were in the changing rooms and so he told him to sneak out of the side door and put them on because his team needed him, unbeknownst to his father.

Playing career

Overview

Mancini debuted in the Italian Serie A for Bologna on 12 September 1981. The following year, he was bought by Sampdoria, for £2.2 million, whom he played for until 1997 . He later played for Lazio (1997–2000) and Leicester City (2001).

In Italy

Sampdoria

With Sampdoria, he formed a dynamic strike partnership with Gianluca Vialli, and helped the club to its only league title in 1991, four Coppa Italias (1985, 1988, 1989 and 1994) and a Cup Winners' Cup in 1990. He also appeared in the final of the 1991–1992 European Cup against Barcelona.

At 27 Mancini sat on the interview panel that selected Sven-Goran Eriksson as manager. When it was time to choose the new kit, Mancini ticked it off. He often delivered the team-talk. He attended board meetings and had a say in transfer business.

Take this story from David Platt's 1995 autobiography, Achieving the Goal, about the day he played at Sampdoria for Bari and, lining up in the tunnel, became aware that Mancini was looking his way. "I thought nothing of it until he asked me, very matter-of-factly, if I was staying at Bari. Outright he asked if I wanted to join Sampdoria. Mancini had been at the club years and was almost a son to the president, Paolo Mantovani." Mancini kept in touch when he moved to Juventus and eventually helped bring him to Sampdoria.

At that stage Mancini had established himself as the most powerful voice in the Blucerchiati dressing room but, even as a teenager, he was not someone who liked his authority being questioned. Trevor Francis signed from Manchester City in 1982 and, aggrieved that his place was under threat, Mancini ended up picking a fight with him on the training ground. He was 18 at the time, taking on a man 10 years older.

Nor was this a one-off. A similar thing happened with Liam Brady, this time giving away eight years. Juan Sebastián Verón tells the story of swearing in Mancini's direction during an argument about a badly taken corner. After the match Mancini had stripped off to the waist and was waiting to fight him. "He is not an easy person, you know," Verón says. "He has this complicated personality."

Lazio

With Lazio he won his second ''scudetto'' (2000) and Cup Winners' Cup titles (1999) as well as two more Coppa Italias (1998 and 2000). In the 1999–2000 season, Lazio won the Scudetto and Coppa Italia, but Mancini failed to score in 20 matches and he announced his playing retirement. He joined Lazio’s coaching staff as Sven-Göran Eriksson’s number two. In 2011, when asked about Mancini, Eriksson said,"I took him to Lazio with me and he wanted to be a manager even while he was a player. He was the coach, he was the kit man, he was the bus driver, everything. "At Sampdoria he wanted to check that everything was in place before training. Sometimes I would have to tell him: 'Mancio, you have a game to play on Sunday, you will be exhausted if you have to control everything.' But he was like that."

Leicester City

Joining Leicester City on loan in January 2001, Mancini made his FA Premier League debut against Arsenal at the age of 36, but failed to complete 90 minutes in his five appearances for the club. In early February, he was given leave of absence, citing personal reasons. He telephoned the club on 14 February, however, and informed them he would not be returning to England (he had been offered the manager's job at Fiorentina). Despite this, he cites his time at Leicester as the period during which he fell in love with the English game, and which later prompted him to accept the job at Manchester City.

International career

Despite success at club level, Mancini never became a regular for Italy. At the under-21 level, Mancini was part of the team which reached the semi-finals in the 1984 Championship and finished runners-up in 1986. He made his international senior squad debut in 1984 against Canada, won 36 caps, and scored four goals for his country (including a goal against West Germany at Euro 1988). He was also a non-playing member of the Italian squad at the 1990 World Cup, being kept out of the side by competition from Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Baggio. His international career ended after a dispute with national team coach Arrigo Sacchi, when Mancini was upset because he would not be guaranteed a first team place at the 1994 World Cup. Fierce competition for places hindered his international opportunities with forward players like Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Baggio and later Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero hastened his self-imposed exile from the Italian national team.

Managerial career

Fiorentina

Although Mancini had written a research pamphlet entitled "Il Trequartista", which examined the role of an attacking midfielder, he had not as yet attained the necessary coaching badges to become a manager. He therefore needed special dispensation from the Italian football authorities to take the post at Fiorentina. Fiorentina was plagued by financial problems and made occasional playing appearances himself. According to various sources, Mancini sometimes worked unpaid and even received death threats as key players such as Rui Costa and Francesco Toldo had to be sold. Despite this, Mancini managed to win the Coppa Italia before quitting in January 2002, after just 10 months in the job, with Fiorentina in the relegation zone of Serie A. Fiorentina were subsequently relegated in June 2002.

Lazio

In May 2002, Mancini was appointed manager of Lazio. He was again restricted by financial considerations, having to sell key players such as Hernán Crespo and Alessandro Nesta, and players were forced to take an 80 percent pay cut. In his first season with Lazio, however, the club reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. In 2003–04, Lazio won the Coppa Italia. Lazio finished fourth in 2003 and sixth in 2004. Before the start of the 2004–05 season, rumours circulated in the Italian press that Internazionale had approached Mancini to fill the recently-vacated managerial position at the club. Shortly after, Mancini quit Lazio and announced that he would be joining Inter.

Internazionale

Under Mancini, Inter soon won the club's first domestic trophy since 1989. Inter became the dominant team in Italy. In Mancini's first season, Inter won the Coppa Italia with a 3–0 victory over Roma at the San Siro. Inter finished third in Serie A and reached the Champions League quarter-finals only to be knocked out by city rivals Milan 3–0 on aggregate. In August 2005, Inter won the Italian Super Cup for the second time in their history with a 1–0 victory over Juventus. Inter again won the Italian Cups and Italian Super Cup. Following the ''Calciopoli'' scandal, Juventus were stripped of the ''Scudetto'' title, which was handed to Inter instead. Inter achieved a record-breaking run of 17 consecutive victories in Serie A, starting on 25 September 2006, with a 4–1 home win over Livorno and ending on 28 February 2007 after a 1–1 draw at home to Udinese. The run lasted for almost five months and is among the best in European league football history. Inter won a second successive league title with five games to spare and only losing one league game all season. Inter finished with a record-breaking 97 points, which is an Italian football record and, until 2010, was a European record. Mancini became the third coach in Inter history to win back-to-back league titles after Alfredo Foni (1952–53 and 1953–54) and Helenio Herrera (1964–65 and 1965–66). Inter also progressed to the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup for the third consecutive season, but were beaten in both finals by Roma. Once again, however, Inter struggled in Europe. In the Champions League they were knocked out in the first round by Valencia. At the end of the game, there was a mass brawl involving both sets of players. Mancini was not involved in the incident, but camera footage showed him attempting to block a camera's view, before he was seen shrugging his shoulders and walking away.

This was Mancini's fourth, and final, season in charge of Inter. His reputation continued to grow as he added a third consecutive Serie A title to his honours. Again he guided Inter to the Coppa Italia final, but lost for a second consecutive season to Roma, 2–1 at the Stadio Olimpico. Despite his successes, the inability to make any real progress in the Champions League displeased Inter owner Massimo Moratti. Inter were knocked out in the second round of the Champions League by Liverpool. In March 2008, amid rumours that he was to be sacked and replaced by José Mourinho at the end of the season, Mancini announced his intention to step down at the end of the 2007–08 season. He rescinded this decision a day later after meeting with Inter President Massimo Moratti. On 29 May 2008, Inter officially announced the sacking of Mancini. Club Chairman Massimo Moratti justified the sacking by pointing to Mancini's negative comments after the Liverpool defeat. He was replaced by José Mourinho, formerly of Chelsea.

Out of football

Mancini was linked to the vacant Chelsea job in May 2008 and then the Notts County job On 30 October 2009, Mancini won compensation for his sacking by Inter. The contract settlement, however, meant Mancini was actually unemployable by any other club from May 2008 to October 2009. It was rumoured that Mancini was entitled to a €16 million pay-off, but in the end, he reportedly settled for €5 million.

Manchester City

On 19 December 2009, Mancini was publicly revealed to be taking over as manager of Manchester City on a three-and-a-half year deal following the sacking of Mark Hughes. With wealthy Emirati owners who were willing to invest heavily in the team, Manchester City had become a club expectant of success.

2009–10

Having been appointed half-way through the season, Mancini's arrival had an immediate impact on City's form, with four consecutive wins. Mancini won his first ever Manchester Derby 2–1 in a Carling Cup semi-final first leg. Manchester United won the second-leg 3–1, however, and eliminated City from the competition.

In April, Manchester City moved into fourth place in the Premier League. On May 5, however, a single goal defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur meant that City missed out on a Champions League spot. City finished the season in fifth place, their highest Premier League finish. There had been speculation that Mancini might lose his job if City failed to secure Champions League football, but chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak gave his support to Mancini.

2010–11

Mancini spent heavily during the summer transfer window. He signed German international defender Jérôme Boateng from Hamburg for approximately £10.64 million, Spanish World Cup winner David Silva from Valencia for approximately £24 million, Yaya Touré from Barcelona for around £24 million, and Aleksandar Kolarov from Lazio for approximately £16 million. During this season Roberto was seen to be attempting to sign Georgia Hooton to his backroom staff after being seen at the Etihad stadium in conversation with her. Although it is not known what was being said due to both speaking in Italian it is thought he was attempting to sign her as a physio.

The 2010–11 Premier League season was marked by runs of mixed form. With a 2-0 win away at on 19 September 2010, City moved into fourth position in the league and did not drop out of the top four positions during the rest of the season. In October and November, the team struggled for form, which put some pressure on Mancini, with his tactics widely criticised following two consecutive 0–0 home draws with Manchester United and .

A fine run of form in the weeks running up to Christmas, however, meant City occupied first place in the Premier League twice over the Christmas period. In the ten games before the 15 January 2011, City won seven times, drew twice, and lost only once as they moved into title contention, whilst also securing passage into the Round of 32 of the Europa League by finishing as the top team in Group A. As a result of his team's strong league form, Mancini was awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month award for December.

Premier League form tailed off again in the new year with City jointly contesting the FA Cup and Europa League, and Mancini cited burnout for losing ground in the league title race. City were eliminated from the Europa League by Dynamo Kyiv in March, but his team replied strongly by winning eight out of the next ten matches, including an FA Cup semi-final victory at Wembley Stadium over local rivals Manchester United in April. A win over Tottenham Hotspur in May guaranteed City the opportunity to play Champions League football the following season. This win was followed by City winning the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory over in the following weekend's final at Wembley. This FA Cup triumph meant that Mancini joined five other City managers who have all won major honours, and it has finally ended the club's longest trophy drought in its history.

Due to their late run of form, City finished third in the league ahead of after a 2-0 win over on the last day of the season, thereby avoiding the need to participate in play-off round fixtures in order to progress to the group stages of the following season's Champions League competition. Only goal difference separated City from achieving a second place finish over .

2011-12

The club were quieter in the closed season transfer window than in previous years, with the club's spending of approximately £75 million more in line with the corresponding amounts spent by rivals Manchester United and Liverpool. £60 million of this sum was used to purchase two players: Sergio Agüero, for a club record fee, and Samir Nasri. Other players purchased during the summer included Gaël Clichy and Stefan Savić, while Owen Hargreaves joined on a free transfer after having been released by Manchester United.

Manchester City started this Premier League season very strongly, winning 12 of their first 14 matches, and scoring an impressive 48 goals while only conceding 13. These results left City undefeated and five points clear at the top of the league over second-placed local rivals Manchester United by the beginning of December. A revitalised Edin Džeko won the Premier League player of the month award for August 2011, and David Silva won the same award for September 2011. Many were impressed with the impact of Agüero and Nasri which had given City an exciting, attacking verve. Mancini was also responsible for inflicting Manchester United's worst loss since 1955 when his City side won 6-1 at Old Trafford. He was named Premier League Manager of the Month as a result of Manchester's City strong form in the month of October.

Management style

Despite Mancini being a striker during his playing career, Mancini places great emphasis on building from the back, stressing the importance of not conceding a goal means the team will always have an opportunity to win, going as far to say, "I like 1-0 wins. When you don't concede a goal and you have players like Edin Džeko, Carlos Tévez or David Silva, you win 90%. I prefer we are boring for two to three matches and we win 1-0... If you watch teams that won titles, they conceded very few goals." Despite this, some argue Mancini is more of a "''defence first''" manager, rather than a "''win first''" manager, a style that has been criticised by some in the British media. Others, however, believe his pragmatic and cautious approach is what the team lacked, and that Mancini is adopting a style to ensure City can challenge for trophies regularly.

Although Mancini has been defensive in some fixtures at Manchester City which has attracted criticism. Mancini did inherit a team from Mark Hughes, which whilst showing great prolificacy and potential in front of goal, had a very insecure defence. Months of intensively coaching his defence, even throwing young Dedryck Boyata into the fray from the youth team in Mancini's first few weeks enabled him to get his tenure at City off to a positive start.

In Internazionale's Serie A winning season 2007-08, Inter conceded the fewest goals in the league - 26 to be precise, 11 fewer than Juventus and Roma. At Manchester City, his team has gradually garnered a reputation as being well organised defensively and tough to break down. In Mancini's first full season in charge at City, they conceded 33 goals in the Premier League, fewest conceded along with Chelsea and 18 clean sheets, the highest in the 2010-11 Premier League season.

Mancini's training methods have been criticised by some City players and especially by ex-Manchester City fitness coach Raymond Verheijen, who is a personal fitness coach for Craig Bellamy. The training sessions are known for being very competitive and has led to well publicised bust ups leading to City earning the nickname of "Fight Club" and recently Mancini was left nursing a sore calf after being flattened by summer signing Stefan Savić who was taking part in his first training session as a City player.

During his time at Manchester City, Mancini has tried to stamp his authority with rebellious players who are unhappy or are not performing and has stated "''If a top player is not happy then it's better to go''". It has been alleged that Mancini has had frosty relationships with Craig Bellamy, club physiotherapist Jamie Murphy and Emmanuel Adebayor who was unhappy at not getting first team football. On 8th April Mancini's side played Arsenal at the Emirates which was a crucial game for both sides a win for Arsenal would see them go five points clear of Tottenham Hotspur and if City won, Manchester United's lead at the top would be reduced to five. The game was at deadlock for the first half and most of the second, with both sides missing opportinities to break the deadlock, and on the 86th minute Mikel Arteta hit a shot from outside the box eventually leading to the goal which saw Arsenal win. Mancini said in a post-match interview that the title race is over but the following week United lost to Wigan 1-0 and the gap was reduced to five after City thrashed Norwich 6-1 at Carrow Road.

Personal life

Mancini has been married for nearly 20 years to his wife, Federica. He is a Catholic and attends mass regularly with his family . They have a daughter and two sons, Filippo and Andrea, who have both played in the Internazionale youth ranks, where Filippo has played 10 minutes in a Coppa Italia match. Both of his sons have at one point been a part of Manchester City's 'Under-21' youth team. Filippo trained with the club's youth/reserve team for several months during the 2007–08 season before Roberto was appointed as City's manager, while Andrea was signed by his father for the current Elite Development Squad in November 2010 after being released from Bologna. Andrea still plays for the EDS although he's currently out on loan at . He was estimated to have a personal wealth of £19m in 2011.

Mancini has stated he watches the soap opera ''Coronation Street'' to help improve his English.

Statistics

Player statistics

!Colspan="3" !Colspan="3" Rowspan="19"1982–83 Serie A 30 24 23 26 30 29 31 30 29 30 30 31 26 331997–98 Serie A 33 20 !Colspan="3"Premier League

Club performance!!Colspan="2"|League!!Colspan="2"|Cup!!Colspan="2"|League Cup!!Colspan="2"|Continental!!Colspan="2"|Other!!Colspan="2"|Total
!Club!!League!!Season!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
Italy!!Colspan="2"|League!!Colspan="2"|Coppa Italia!!Colspan="2"|—!!Colspan="2"|Europe!!Colspan="2"|Other!!Colspan="2"|Total
Bologna Football Club 1909	Bologna	Serie A||	1981–82 Serie A>1981–82	30	9	1	0	—		—		—		31	9
rowspan="15"	Sampdoria	1982–83||	22	4	5	1	—			—		27	5
1983–84 Serie A	1983–84	|	8	8	2	—		—		38	10
1984–85 Serie A	1984–85	|	3	11	3	—		—		35	6
1985–86 Serie A	1985–86	|	6	11	4	4	2	—		38	12
1986–87 Serie A	1986–87	|	6	5	0	—		—		31	6
1987–88 Serie A	1987–88	|	5	13	3	—		—		43	8
1988–89 Serie A	1988–89	|	9	11	5	8	0	0	0	48	14
1989–90 Serie A	1989–90	|	11	3	2	9	2	1	0	44	15
1990–91 Serie A	1990–91	|	12	10	2	7	2	—		47	16
1991–92 Serie A	1991–92	|	6	6	2	9	4	1	1	45	13
1992–93 Serie A	1992–93	|	15	2	0	—		—		32	15
1993–94 Serie A	1993–94	|	12	7	0	—		—		37	12
1994–95 Serie A	1994–95	|	9	2	1	4	2	1	0	38	12
1995–96 Serie A	1995–96	|	11	2	1	—		—		28	12
1996–97 Serie A	1996–97	|	15	2	0	—		—		35	15
rowspan=3	Lazio	1997–98||	34	5	8	1	10	3	—		52	9
1998–99 Serie A	1998–99	|	10	6	2	7	0	1	0	47	12
1999–2000 Serie A	1999–2000	|	0	7	3	10	0	—		37	3
England!!Colspan="2"|League!!Colspan="2"|FA Cup!!Colspan="2"|League Cup!!Colspan="2"|Europe!!Colspan="2"|Other!!Colspan="2"|Total
Leicester City F.C.	Leicester City	|	2000–01 FA Premier League>2000–01	4	0	1	0	0	0	—		—		5	0
Career totals!!colspan="2"
England!!4!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!5!!0
Career statistics!!545!!156!!121!!32!!0!!0!!68!!15!!4!!1!!738!!204

1.Statistics includes Supercoppa Italiana. 2.Statistics includes FA Community Shield.

Managerial statistics

:''Competitive games only – as of 30 April 2012''

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
G	W	D	L	Win %
align=left
align=left
align=left
align=left
Total

Honours

As player

;Italy ;Serie A (2)

Sampdoria: 1990-91

Lazio: 1999-2000

;Coppa Italia (6)

Sampdoria: 1984-85, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1993-94

Lazio: 1997-98, 1999-2000

;Supercoppa Italiana (2)

Sampdoria: 1991

Lazio: 1998

;UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (2)

Sampdoria: 1989-90

Lazio: 1998-99

;UEFA Super Cup (1)

Lazio: 1999

;Italy national team

1990 FIFA World Cup: Bronze medal - Third place

;Individual

Guerin d'Oro: 1988, 1991

Serie A Footballer of the Year: 1997

Italian Footballer of the Year: 1997

As manager

;Italy ;Serie A (3)

Internazionale: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08

;Coppa Italia (4)

Fiorentina: 2000–01

Lazio: 2003–04

Internazionale: 2004–05, 2005–06

;Supercoppa Italiana (2)

Internazionale: 2005, 2006

;England ;FA Cup (1)

Manchester City: 2010–11

;Individual ;Premier League Manager of the Month (2) Manchester City: December 2010, October 2011

References

External links

Official website

Profile at Manchester City F.C.

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:People from Iesi Category:Italian footballers Category:Italy international footballers Category:Italy under-21 international footballers Category:Bologna F.C. 1909 players Category:U.C. Sampdoria players Category:S.S. Lazio players Category:Leicester City F.C. players Category:Serie A footballers Category:UEFA Euro 1988 players Category:1990 FIFA World Cup players Category:Italian football managers Category:S.S. Lazio managers Category:ACF Fiorentina managers Category:F.C. Internazionale Milano managers Category:Serie A managers Category:Premier League players Category:Italian expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:Italian expatriate sportspeople in the United Kingdom Category:Premier League managers Category:Expatriate football managers in England

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playername	Sir Alex Ferguson
honorific suffix	CBE
fullname	Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson
dateofbirth	December 31, 1941
cityofbirth	Glasgow
countryofbirth	Scotland
position	Forward
currentclub	Manchester United (manager)
years1	1957–1960 |clubs1 Queen's Park |caps1 31 |goals1 15
years2	1960–1964 |clubs2 St. Johnstone |caps2 37 |goals2 19
years3	1964–1967 |clubs3 Dunfermline Athletic |caps3 89 |goals3 66
years4	1967–1969 |clubs4 Rangers |caps4 41 |goals4 25
years5	1969–1973 |clubs5 Falkirk |caps5 95 |goals5 36
years6	1973–1974 |clubs6 Ayr United |caps6 24 |goals6 9
totalcaps	317 |totalgoals 170
nationalyears1	1967 |nationalteam1 Scottish League XI|nationalcaps1 2 |nationalgoals1 1
nationalyears2	1967 |nationalteam2 Scotland XI |nationalcaps2 7 |nationalgoals2 9
manageryears1	1974 |managerclubs1 East Stirlingshire
manageryears2	1974–1978 |managerclubs2 St. Mirren
manageryears3	1978–1986 |managerclubs3 Aberdeen
manageryears4	1985–1986 |managerclubs4 Scotland
manageryears5	1986– |managerclubs5 Manchester United }}

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish football manager and former player who has managed Manchester United since 1986. His tenure has seen the club go through an era of success and dominance both in England and in Europe, giving Ferguson a reputation as one of the most admired and respected managers in the history of the game.

Ferguson previously managed East Stirlingshire and St. Mirren, before a highly successful period as manager of Aberdeen. After a brief stint as manager of the Scotland national team following the death of Jock Stein, he was appointed manager of Manchester United in November 1986.

With 25 years as manager of Manchester United, he is the longest serving manager in their history after overtaking Sir Matt Busby's record on 19 December 2010. His tenure is also the longest of all the current League managers. During this time, Ferguson has won many awards and holds many records including winning Manager of the Year most times in British football history. In 2008, he became the third British manager to win the European Cup on more than one occasion.

He was knighted in 1999 for his services to the game and also holds the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen.

Early life

Born to Alexander Beaton Ferguson, a plater's helper in the shipbuilding industry, and his wife, the former Elizabeth Hardie, Alex Ferguson was born at his grandmother's home on Shieldhall Road, Govan, on 31 December 1941, but grew up in a tenement at 667 Govan Road (which has since been demolished) where he lived with his parents as well as his younger brother Martin.

He attended Broomloan Road Primary School and later Govan High School, and supported Rangers.

Playing career

Ferguson's playing career began as an amateur with Queen's Park, where he made his debut as a striker aged 16. He described his first match as a "nightmare", but scored Queen's Park's goal in a 2–1 defeat against Stranraer. As Queen's Park were an amateur team he also worked in the Clyde shipyards as an apprentice tool-worker, where he became an active trade union shop steward. Perhaps his most notable game for Queen's Park was the 7–1 defeat away to Queen of the South on Boxing Day 1959 when ex-England international Ivor Broadis scored four of the Queen of the South goals. Ferguson was the solitary Queen's Park goalscorer.

Despite scoring 20 goals in his 31 games for Queen's Park, he could not command a regular place in the side and moved to St. Johnstone in 1960. Although he continued to score regularly at St. Johnstone, he was still unable to command a regular place and regularly requested transfers. Ferguson was out of favour at the club and he even considered emigrating to Canada, however St. Johnstone's failure to sign a forward led the manager to select Ferguson for a match against Rangers, in which he scored a hat trick in a surprise victory. Dunfermline signed him the following summer (1964), and Ferguson became a full-time professional footballer.

The following season (1964–65), Dunfermline were strong challengers for the Scottish League and reached the Scottish Cup Final, but Ferguson was dropped for the final after a poor performance in a league game against St. Johnstone. Dunfermline lost the final 3–2 to Celtic, then failed to win the League by one point. The 1965–66 season saw Ferguson notch up 45 goals in 51 games for Dunfermline. Along with Joe McBride of Celtic, he was the top goalscorer in the Scottish League with 31 goals.

He then joined Rangers for £65,000, then a record fee for a transfer between two Scottish clubs. He was blamed for a goal that they conceded in the 1969 Scottish Cup Final, in a match in which he was designated to mark Celtic captain, Billy McNeill, and was subsequently forced to play for the club's junior side instead of for the first team. According to his brother, Ferguson was so upset by the experience that he threw his losers' medal away. There have been claims that he suffered discrimination at Rangers after his marriage to a Catholic, Cathy Holding, but Ferguson himself makes it clear in his autobiography that Rangers knew of his wife's religion when he joined the club and that he left the club very reluctantly, due to the fall-out from his alleged cup final mistake.

The following October, Nottingham Forest wanted to sign Ferguson, but his wife was not keen on moving to England at that time so he went to Falkirk instead. He was promoted to player-coach there, but when John Prentice became manager he removed Ferguson's coaching responsibilities. Ferguson responded by requesting a transfer and moved to Ayr United, where he finished his playing career in 1974.

Early managerial career

East Stirlingshire

In June 1974, Ferguson was appointed manager of East Stirlingshire, at the comparatively young age of 32. It was a part-time job that paid £40 per week, and the club did not have a single goalkeeper at the time. He gained a reputation as a disciplinarian, with club forward Bobby McCulley later saying he had "never been afraid of anyone before but Ferguson was a frightening bastard from the start."

The following October, Ferguson was invited to manage St. Mirren. While they were below East Stirlingshire in the league, they were a bigger club and although Ferguson felt a degree of loyalty towards East Stirlingshire, he decided to join St. Mirren after taking advice from Jock Stein.

St. Mirren

Ferguson was manager of St. Mirren from 1974 until 1978, producing a remarkable transformation of a team in the lower half of the old Second Division watched by crowds of just over 1,000, to First Division champions in 1977, discovering talent like Billy Stark, Tony Fitzpatrick, Lex Richardson, Frank McGarvey, Bobby Reid and Peter Weir while playing superb attacking football. The average age of the league winning team was 19 and the captain, Fitzpatrick, was 20.

St. Mirren have the distinction of being the only club ever to sack Ferguson. He claimed wrongful dismissal against the club at an industrial tribunal but lost and was given no leave to appeal. According to a Billy Adams ''Sunday Herald'' article on 30 May 1999, the official version is that Ferguson was sacked for various breaches of contract including unauthorised payments to players. He was counter-accused of intimidating behaviour towards his office secretary because he wanted players to get some expenses tax free. He didn't speak to her for six weeks, confiscated her keys and communicated only through a 17-year-old assistant. The tribunal concluded that Ferguson was "particularly petty" and "immature". It was claimed during the tribunal by St. Mirren chairman, Willie Todd, that Ferguson had "no managerial ability".

On 31 May 2008, ''The Guardian'' published an interview with Todd (then aged 87), who had sacked Ferguson all those years earlier. He explained that the fundamental reason for the dismissal was a breach of contract relating to Ferguson having agreed to join Aberdeen. Ferguson told journalist Jim Rodger of the ''Daily Mirror'' that he had asked at least one member of the squad to go to Aberdeen with him. He also told the St. Mirren staff he was leaving. Todd expressed regret over what happened but blamed Aberdeen for not approaching his club to discuss compensation.

Aberdeen

Late 1970s

Ferguson joined Aberdeen as manager in June 1978, replacing Billy McNeill who had only managed the club for one season before he was offered the chance to manage Celtic. Although Aberdeen were one of Scotland's major clubs they had won the league only once, in 1955 under Dave Halliday. The team had been playing well, however, and had not lost a league match since the previous December, having finished second in the league the previous season. Ferguson had now been a manager for four years, but was still not much older than some of the players and had trouble winning the respect of some of the older ones such as Joe Harper. The season did not go especially well, with Aberdeen reaching the semi-final of the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup Final, but losing both matches and finishing fourth in the league.

Aberdeen also lost the 1979–80 Scottish League Cup Final, this time to Dundee United after a replay. Ferguson took the blame for the defeat, saying he should have made changes to the team for the replay.

1980s and silverware

Aberdeen had started the season poorly but their form improved dramatically in the new year and they won the Scottish league that season with a 5–0 win on the final day. It was the first time in fifteen years that the league had not been won by either Rangers or Celtic. Ferguson now felt that he had the respect of his players, later saying "That was the achievement which united us. I finally had the players believing in me".

He was still a strict disciplinarian, though, and his players nicknamed him ''Furious Fergie''. He fined one of his players, John Hewitt, for overtaking him on a public road, and kicked a tea urn at the players at half time after a poor first half. He was dissatisfied with the atmosphere at Aberdeen matches, and deliberately created a 'siege mentality' by accusing the Scottish media of being biased towards the Glasgow clubs, in order to motivate the team. The team continued their success with a Scottish Cup win in 1982. Ferguson was offered the managers' job at Wolves but turned it down as he felt that Wolves were in trouble and "[his] ambitions at Aberdeen were not even half fulfilled".

European success

Ferguson led Aberdeen to even greater success the following season (1982–83). They had qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as a result of winning the Scottish Cup the previous season, and impressively knocked out Bayern Munich, who had beaten Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 in the previous round. According to Willie Miller, this gave them the confidence to believe that they could go on to win the competition, which they did, with a 2–1 victory over Real Madrid in the final on 11 May 1983. Aberdeen became only the third Scottish team to win a European trophy and Ferguson now felt that "he'd done something worthwhile with his life". Aberdeen had also performed well in the league that season, and retained the Scottish Cup with a 1–0 victory over Rangers, but Ferguson was not happy with his team's play in that match and upset the players by describing theirs as a "disgraceful performance" in a televised interview after the match, a statement he later retracted.

After a sub-standard start to the 1983–84 season, Aberdeen's form improved and the team won the Scottish league and retained the Scottish Cup. Ferguson was awarded the OBE in the 1984 honours list, and was offered the managers' jobs at Rangers, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur during the season. Aberdeen retained their league title in the 1984–85 season, but had a disappointing season in 1985–86, finishing fourth in the league, although they did win both domestic cups. Ferguson had been appointed to the club's board of directors early in 1986, but that April he told Dick Donald, their chairman, that he intended to leave that summer.

Ferguson had been part of coaching staff for the Scottish national side during qualifying for the 1986 World Cup, but manager Jock Stein had collapsed and died on 10 September 1985 – at the end of the game in which Scotland qualified from their group for a play-off against Australia. Ferguson promptly agreed to take charge of the Scottish national side against the Australians and subsequently at the World Cup. To allow him to fulfil his international duties he appointed Archie Knox as his co-manager at Aberdeen. However, after Scotland failed to progress past the group stages of the World Cup, Ferguson stepped down as national team manager on 15 June 1986.

Around this time, Tottenham Hotspur offered Ferguson the chance to take over from Peter Shreeves as manager, but he rejected this offer and the job went to Luton Town's David Pleat instead. There was also an offer for Ferguson to replace Don Howe as Arsenal manager, but he rejected this offer as well, and fellow Scot George Graham took the post instead. That summer, there had been speculation that he would take over from Ron Atkinson at Manchester United, who had slumped to fourth in the English top flight after a 10-match winning start had made title glory seem inevitable.

It was not the first time that Ferguson had been linked with a move to England. In February 1982, Wolverhampton Wanderers had approached him about succeeding John Barnwell as manager as they were heading for relegation from the First Division. He rejected this offer, perhaps concerned about the club's financial stability, as they were more than £2million in debt at the time and narrowly avoided going out of business. At the end of the 1985–86 season, both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur had approached him about becoming their new manager, but he rejected the offers from both North London clubs. Although Ferguson remained at Aberdeen over the summer, he did eventually join Manchester United when Atkinson was sacked in November 1986.

Managing Manchester United

Appointment and first years

Ferguson was appointed manager at Old Trafford on 6 November 1986. He was initially worried that many of the players, such as Norman Whiteside, Paul McGrath and Bryan Robson were drinking too much and was "depressed" by their level of fitness, but he managed to increase the players' discipline and United climbed up the table to finish the season in 11th place, having been 21st (second from bottom) when he took over.

His first game in charge was a 2–0 defeat at underdogs Oxford United on 8 November, followed seven days later by a goalless draw at newly promoted Norwich City, and then his first win (1–0 at home to QPR) on 22 November. Results steadily improved as the season went on, and by the time they recorded what would be their only away win of the league campaign at title challengers and deadly rivals Liverpool on Boxing Day, it was clear that United were on the road to recovery. 1987 began on a high note with a 4–1 victory over Newcastle United and United gradually pulled together in the second half of the season, with relatively occasional defeats on the way, and finished 11th in the final table. Ferguson's mother, Elizabeth died of lung cancer, aged 64, three weeks after his appointment. Ferguson appointed Archie Knox, his assistant at Aberdeen, as his assistant at Manchester United in 1986.

In the 1987–88 season, Ferguson made several major signings, including Steve Bruce, Viv Anderson, Brian McClair and Jim Leighton. The new players made a great contribution to a United team who finished in second place, nine points behind Liverpool. However, Liverpool's points lead had been in double digits for most of the season and while United had lost only five league games all season, they drew 12 games and there was clearly still some way to go before United could be a match for their north western rivals.

United were expected to do well when Mark Hughes returned to the club two years after leaving for Barcelona, but the 1988–89 season was a disappointment for them, finishing eleventh in the league and losing 1–0 at home to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup Sixth Round. They had begun the season slowly, going on a nine-match winless run throughout October and November (with one defeat and eight draws) before a run of generally good results took them to third place and the fringes of the title challenge by mid February. However, another run of disappointing results in the final quarter of the season saw them fall down to mid table.

During the season, United played in friendly matches against the Bermudan national team and Somerset County Cricket Club as part of the Bermudan team's tour of England. In the match against Somerset, both Ferguson himself and his assistant, Archie Knox, took to the field, with Knox even getting on the scoresheet. The match remains Ferguson's only appearance for the Manchester United first team.

For the 1989–90 season, Ferguson further boosted his squad by paying large sums of money for midfielders Neil Webb, Mike Phelan and Paul Ince, as well as defender Gary Pallister and winger Danny Wallace. The season began well with a 4–1 win over defending champions Arsenal on the opening day, but United's league form quickly turned sour. In September, United suffered a humiliating 5–1 away defeat against fierce rivals Manchester City. Following this and an early season run of six defeats and two draws in eight games, a banner declaring "Three years of excuses and it's still crap...ta-ra Fergie." was displayed at Old Trafford, and many journalists and supporters called for Ferguson to be sacked. Ferguson later described December 1989 as "the darkest period [he had] ever suffered in the game", as United ended the decade just outside the relegation zone.

However, Ferguson later revealed that the board of directors had assured him that they were not considering dismissing him. Although naturally disappointed with the lack of success in the league, they understood the reasons for the sub-standard results (namely the absence of several key players due to injury) and were pleased with the way that Ferguson had reorganised the club's coaching and scouting system.

Following a run of seven games without a win, Manchester United were drawn away to Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup. Forest were performing well that season and were in the process of winning the League Cup for the second season running, and it was expected that United would lose the match and Ferguson would consequently be sacked, but United won the game 1–0 thanks to a Mark Robins goal and eventually reached the final. This cup win is often cited as the match that saved Ferguson's Old Trafford career, even though it has since been stated that his job was never at risk. United went on to win the FA Cup, beating Crystal Palace 1–0 in the final replay after a 3–3 draw in the first match, giving Ferguson his first major trophy as Manchester United manager. United's defensive frailties in the first match were unilaterally blamed on goalkeeper Jim Leighton, forcing Ferguson to drop his former Aberdeen player and bring in Les Sealey.

The first league title

Although United's league form improved greatly in 1990–91, they were still inconsistent and finished sixth. There were some excellent performances that season, including a 6–2 demolition of Arsenal at Highbury, but results like an early 2–1 loss at newly promoted Sunderland, a 4–0 September hammering by Liverpool at Anfield, and a 2–0 home defeat by Everton in early March (the game where 17-year-old hot prospect Ryan Giggs made his senior debut) showed that United still had some way to go.

Even after the FA Cup Final victory in the previous season, some still had doubts about Ferguson's ability to succeed where all the other managers since Busby had failed — to win the league title. They were runners-up in the League Cup, losing 1–0 to Sheffield Wednesday. They also reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, beating that season's Spanish champions Barcelona 2–1. After the match, Ferguson vowed that United would win the league the following season, and at long last he seemed to have won over the last of his sceptics after nearly five years in the job.

During the 1991 close season, Ferguson's assistant Archie Knox departed to Glasgow Rangers to become assistant to Walter Smith, and Ferguson promoted youth team coach Brian Kidd to the role of assistant manager in Knox's place. He also made two major signings – goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and defender Paul Parker – to bolster his side. There was much anticipation about the breakthrough of the young Ryan Giggs, who had played twice and scored once in the 1990–91 campaign, and the earlier emergence of another impressive young winger in the shape of Lee Sharpe, who despite their youth had made Ferguson feel able to resist plunging into the transfer market and buying a new player to take over from the disappointing Danny Wallace on the left wing. He had also added the Ukrainian Andrei Kanchelskis to the right wing, giving him a more attacking alternative to older right footed midfielders Mike Phelan and Bryan Robson.

The 1991–92 season did not live up to Ferguson's expectations and, in Ferguson's words, "many in the media felt that [his] mistakes had contributed to the misery". United won the League Cup and Super Cup for the first time, but lost out on the league title to rivals Leeds United after leading the table for much of the season. A shortage of goals and being held to draws by teams they had been expected to beat in the second half of the campaign had proved to be the undoing of a United side who had performed so well in the first half of the season. Ferguson felt that his failure to secure the signing of Mick Harford from Luton Town had cost United the league, and that he needed "an extra dimension" to the team if they were to win the league the following season.

During the 1992 close season, Ferguson went on the hunt for a new striker. He first attempted to sign Alan Shearer from Southampton, but lost out to Blackburn Rovers. He also made at least one approach for the Sheffield Wednesday striker David Hirst, but manager Trevor Francis rejected all offers and the player stayed put. In the end, he paid £1 million for 23-year-old Cambridge United striker Dion Dublin – his only major signing of the summer.

After a slow start to the 1992–93 season (they were 10th of 22 at the beginning of November) it looked as though United would miss out on the league title (now the Premier League) yet again. However, after the purchase of French striker Eric Cantona from Leeds United for £1.2 million, the future of Manchester United, and Ferguson's position as manager, began to look bright. Cantona formed a strong partnership with Mark Hughes and fired the club to the top of the table, ending United's 26-year wait for a League Championship, and also making them the first ever Premier League Champions. United had finished champions with a 10-point margin over runners-up Aston Villa, whose 1–0 defeat at Oldham on 2 May 1993 had given United the title. Ferguson was voted Manager of the Year by the League Managers' Association.

Two doubles

The 1993–94 season brought more success. Ferguson added Nottingham Forest's 22-year-old midfielder Roy Keane to the ranks for a British record fee of £3.75million as a long term replacement for Bryan Robson, who was nearing the end of his career.

United led the 1993–94 Premier League table virtually from start to finish.

Ferguson was the very first winner of the Premier League Manager of the Month award, introduced for the start of the 1993–94 season, when he collected the accolade for August 1993.

Cantona was top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions despite being sent off twice in the space of five days in March 1994. United also reached the League Cup final but lost 3–1 to Aston Villa, managed by Ferguson's predecessor, Ron Atkinson. In the FA Cup final, Manchester United achieved an impressive 4–0 scoreline against Chelsea, winning Ferguson his second League and Cup Double, following his Scottish Premier Division and Scottish Cup titles with Aberdeen in 1984–85, though the League Cup final defeat meant that he had not yet achieved a repeat of the treble that he had achieved with Aberdeen in 1983.

Ferguson made only one close-season signing, paying Blackburn Rovers £1.2million for David May. There were newspaper reports that Ferguson was also going to sign highly rated 21-year-old striker Chris Sutton from Norwich City, but the player headed for Blackburn Rovers instead.

1994–95 was a harder season for Ferguson. Cantona assaulted a Crystal Palace supporter in a game at Selhurst Park, and it seemed likely he would leave English football. An eight month ban saw Cantona miss the final four months of the season. He also received a 14-day prison sentence for the offence but the sentence was quashed on appeal and replaced by a 120-hour community service order. On the brighter side, United paid a British record fee of £7million for Newcastle's prolific striker Andy Cole, with young winger Keith Gillespie heading to the north-east in exchange. The season also saw the breakthrough of young players Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, who provided excellent cover for the long periods that United were left without some of their more experienced stars.

However, the championship slipped out of Manchester United's grasp as they drew 1–1 with West Ham United on the final day of the season, when a win would have given them the a third successive league title. United also lost the FA Cup final in a 1–0 defeat to Everton.

Ferguson was heavily criticised in the summer of 1995 when three of United's star players were allowed to leave and replacements were not bought. First Paul Ince moved to Internazionale of Italy for £7.5 million, long serving striker Mark Hughes was suddenly sold to Chelsea in a £1.5 million deal, and Andrei Kanchelskis was sold to Everton.

Ferguson made an approach for Tottenham Hotspur winger Darren Anderton, but the player signed a new contract with the North London club. He then made a bid to sign Dutchman Marc Overmars from Ajax (the European Cup winners), but the player suffered a serious knee injury and was ruled out for months. Media reports suggested that United were going to make an approach for Juventus and Italy forward Roberto Baggio, who was generally regarded as the best player in the world at this time, but the player remained in his homeland and signed for Milan instead.

It was widely known that Ferguson felt that United had a number of young players who were ready to play in the first team. The youngsters, who would be known as "Fergie's Fledglings", included Gary Neville, Phil Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, who would all go on to be important members of the team. And so the 1995–96 season began without a major signing, at a time when the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United were making the headlines with big money signings.

When United lost the first league match of the 1995–96 season 3–1 to Aston Villa, the media swooped upon Ferguson with undisguised glee. They wrote United off because Ferguson's squad contained so many young and inexperienced players. Match of the Day pundit, Alan Hansen proclaimed that "you can't win anything with kids".

However, the young players performed well and United won their next five matches, exacting their revenge over Everton for the FA Cup defeat with a 3–2 win at Goodison Park and achieving a 2–1 away win over defending champions Blackburn Rovers who were now looking rather like relegation battlers than title contenders.

Cantona's return from suspension was a boost, but they found themselves 10 points behind Newcastle United by Christmas 1995. A 2–0 home win over the Tynesiders on 27 December narrowed the gap to seven points and a subsequent win over struggling QPR narrowed it to four points, but a 4–1 defeat for United at Tottenham on New Year's Day 1996 and a 0–0 home draw with Aston Villa saw the Magpies re-establish their wide lead and it looked certain that the league title was Newcastle's.

However a series of good results starting in mid January 1996 saw the gap close, and when United travelled to Newcastle and won 1–0 on 4 March, the gap was down to a single point.

United went top of the league soon after the win at Newcastle, who continued to drop points in crucial games.

Early April saw Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan's famous outburst on live television ("I'd love it if we beat them! Love it!"), and is generally regarded as the moment that Ferguson gained the upper hand against his opponent. United's Premier League title success was confirmed on the final day of the season, when they defeated a Middlesbrough side managed by former United captain Bryan Robson in a game which ended in a 3–0 win despite strong displays by Boro confounding pre-match reports that Robson would give his old team an easy ride.

They played Liverpool in that year's FA Cup final, winning 1–0 with a late goal by Cantona. This made them the first team in English football to repeat the double of the league title and FA Cup, and more impressive was the fact that it had been achieved with a similar set of players to the ones who achieved the first double.

1996–97 saw Ferguson guide Manchester United to their fourth Premier League title in five seasons. In late autumn, they suffered three league defeats in a row and conceded 13 goals in the process. They also lost their 40 year unbeaten home record in Europe to unfancied Turkish side Fenerbahçe. But they still reached the Champions League semi final, where they lost to Borussia Dortmund of Germany. At the end of the season, Cantona surprisingly retired from football.

Other success stories of the 1996–97 season were two Norwegian signings, striker Ole Gunnar Solskjær (the club's top scorer that season) and defender Ronny Johnsen, who were bargain buys as they were little known outside the Premier League on their arrival the previous summer but went on to be key factors in United's fourth Premier League title.

The treble

Ferguson made two new signings to bolster United's challenge for the 1997–98 season, 31-year-old England striker Teddy Sheringham and defender Henning Berg. However, the season ended trophyless as Arsenal won the Premier League under French manager Arsène Wenger, who started a long-lasting rivalry with Ferguson. For much of the season, United had looked to be on the road to success. They led the table for much of the season before a series of disappointing results in the final quarter – combined with Arsenal taking advantage of games in hand – saw the league title head to North London. There was much promise in the European Cup as United recorded an impressive 3–2 win over Juventus in the group stages, before being eliminated by AS Monaco 1–1 on away goals in the quarter-finals. Their FA Cup challenge began, with an excellent 5–3 away win over holders Chelsea, before a shock fifth round replay exit at a Barnsley side, who ended the season relegated from the Premier League.

The summer of 1998 saw striker Dwight Yorke, Dutch defender Jaap Stam and the Swedish winger Jesper Blomqvist join Manchester United for a combined total of nearly £30 million.

In December 1998, Ferguson's assistant Brian Kidd accepted an offer to manage Blackburn Rovers and he recruited Steve McClaren from Derby County as his successor. Ironically, Kidd's side were relegated in the penultimate game on the league season when United held them to a 0–0 draw.

The 1998–99 season saw the club winning an unprecedented treble of the Premier League title, FA Cup and Champions League. The season was characterised by highly dramatic matches. In the Champions League semi-final second leg, United conceded two early goals away to Juventus; however, inspired by Roy Keane, who would later miss the final through suspension, United came back to beat Juventus 3–2 and reach their first European Cup final since 1968. In the FA Cup semi-final, United faced close rivals Arsenal and appeared to be heading for defeat when Keane was sent off and Arsenal were awarded a last-minute penalty. Peter Schmeichel saved the penalty, and in extra time Ryan Giggs ran the length of the pitch to score perhaps the most memorable goal of his career to win the match. They then defeated Newcastle United 2–0 in the FA Cup Final at Wembley thanks to goals from Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes. The European triumph was the most incredible of all. With 90 minutes on the clock they were 1–0 down to Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp in Barcelona following a Mario Basler free kick, but in 3 minutes of injury time allowed by referee Pierluigi Collina, Teddy Sheringham, a substitute, equalised and extra time looked certain. But with just seconds left on the clock, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, also a late substitution, scored the winning goal and history was made.

On 12 June 1999, Ferguson received a knighthood in recognition of his services to the game.

Title hat-trick

Manchester United ended the 1999–2000 season as champions with just three Premier League defeats, and a cushion of 18 points. The massive gap between United and the rest of the Premier League, although they had faced stiff competition from the likes of Arsenal and Leeds United until the final weeks of the season, caused some to wonder if the club's financial dominance was developing into a problem for the English game.

In April 2000, it was announced that Manchester United had agreed to sign Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy from PSV Eindhoven for a British record fee of £18million. But the move was put on hold when van Nistelrooy failed a medical, and he then returned to his homeland in a bid to regain fitness, only to suffer a serious knee injury which ruled him out for almost a year.

28-year-old French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was signed from Monaco for £7.8million—making him the most expensive goalkeeper to be signed by a British club, and United won the title again, becoming only the fourth side in history to win the English league title three seasons in succession. They also matched Liverpool's record (set in 1991) of 10 successive top two finishes.

However, the press largely saw the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 campaigns as failures as United had failed to win the European Cup, falling at the quarter final stages to Real Madrid in 2000 and Bayern Munich in 2001.

During the 2001 close season Ruud van Nistelrooy joined, and soon after Manchester United again broke the British transfer record—this time paying Lazio £28.1million for Argentine attacking midfielder Juan Sebastián Verón, although he failed to live up to the high expectations his transfer fee suggested and he was sold to Chelsea for £15million only two years later.

Rebuilding and transition

Two games into the 2001–02 season, Dutch central defender Jaap Stam was sold to Lazio in a £16million deal. The reason for Stam's departure was believed to have been claims in his autobiography ''Head to Head'' that he had been illegally spoken to about a move to Manchester United by Ferguson, before his previous club PSV Eindhoven had been informed. Ferguson replaced Stam with Internazionale's 36-year-old central defender Laurent Blanc.

Before the season began, Ferguson also lost his assistant Steve McClaren, who took over as manager of Middlesbrough, and gave the role to long-serving coach Jimmy Ryan until a more permanent successor could be found.

By 8 December 2001, after a terrible run of form which saw one win and six defeats on a period of seven league games, Manchester United were ninth in the Premier League — 11 points behind leaders Liverpool who had a game in hand. There were widespread fears that they might not even qualify for Europe, let alone win the league title.

Then came a dramatic turn around in form: between mid-December and late January, as eight successive wins saw Manchester United climb to the top of the Premier League and put their title challenge back on track. Despite this, United finished third in the League as rival Arsène Wenger clinched the title for Arsenal at Old Trafford with a 1–0 win in the penultimate game of the season after United dropped points in a couple of other crucial games during the run-in.

United were also unsuccessful in Europe, losing the Champions League semi-final on away goals to Bayer Leverkusen. Early exits from the League Cup and FA Cup meant that the season ended trophyless. As they were third in the league and had not reached a cup final, it was the first time since 1989 that they had finished a season without being winners or runners-up of a major competition.

The 2001–02 season was to have been Ferguson's last as Manchester United manager, and the looming date of his retirement was cited as a reason for the team's loss of form. Ferguson himself admitted that the decision to pre-announce his retirement had resulted in a negative effect on the players and on his ability to impose discipline. But in February 2002 he agreed to stay in charge for at least another three years.

The close season saw Manchester United break the British transfer record yet again when they paid Leeds United £30million for 24-year-old central defender Rio Ferdinand.

That summer, Ferguson brought in Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz as his assistant.

Manchester United won their eighth Premier League title yet just over two months before the end of the season they were eight points behind leaders Arsenal. But an improvement in form for United, and a decline for Arsenal, saw the Premier League trophy gradually slip out of the Londoners' grasp and push it back in the direction of Old Trafford. Ferguson described the 2002–03 title triumph as his most satisfying ever, due to the nature of a remarkable comeback. The excellent run-in had produced 10 wins and a draw (including 4–0 home win over Liverpool and a 6–2 away demolition of Newcastle United) from the final 11 games, and no defeats since Boxing Day.

Not for the first time, Ferguson had proven to be a master of managerial mind-games, successfully rattling the composure of Arsenal and their otherwise unflappable manager Arsène Wenger.

Ferguson guided Manchester United to their eleventh FA Cup at the end of the 2003–04 season, but it was a disappointing season which had seen them finish third in the Premier League (which was won by an undefeated Arsenal side) and suffer Champions League elimination at the hands of eventual winners FC Porto. Rio Ferdinand missed the final four months of the season, as he served the beginning of an eight-month ban for missing a drugs test. New signings like Eric Djemba-Djemba and José Kléberson were disappointing, United tried to sign Ronaldinho and Fergie believed the deal was as good as done before Peter Kenyon caused it to fall apart, but there was at least one productive signing in teenage Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo. Striker Louis Saha, added in January, also proved to be reasonably successful covering for the injured Ole Gunnar Solskjær in attack.

At the beginning of the 2004–05 season, teenage striker Wayne Rooney (the world's most expensive teenager at more than £20million) and Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze joined United while Cristiano Ronaldo continued where he had left off the previous season by putting in more match-winning performances. But the lack of a striker after van Nistelrooy spent most of the season injured saw the club finish third for the third time in four seasons. In the FA Cup they lost on penalties to Arsenal. A second round exit from the European Cup at the hands of AC Milan and a semi-final exit from the League Cup at the hands of eventual winners Chelsea (who also clinched the Premier League title) meant that 2004–05 was a rare instance of a trophyless season for United.

Ferguson's preparations for the season were disrupted by a high-profile dispute with major shareholder John Magnier, over the ownership of the racehorse Rock of Gibraltar. When Magnier and business partner J. P. McManus agreed to sell their shares to American business tycoon Malcolm Glazer, it cleared the way for Glazer to acquire full control of the club. This sparked violent protests from United fans, and disrupted Ferguson's plans to strengthen the team in the transfer market. In spite of this, United looked to solve their goalkeeping and midfield problems. For this, they signed the Dutch keeper Edwin van der Sar from Fulham and Korean star Park Ji-Sung from PSV.

The season was one of transition. On 18 November, Roy Keane officially left the club, his contract ended by mutual consent. United failed to qualify for the knock-out phase of the UEFA Champions' League. In the January transfer window Serbian defender Nemanja Vidić and French full-back Patrice Evra were signed, and the side finished in second place in the league, behind runaway leaders Chelsea. Winning the League Cup was a consolation prize for lack of success elsewhere. Ruud van Nistelrooy's future at Old Trafford seemed to be in doubt after not starting in the Carling Cup final, and he departed at the end of the season.

Second European Champions League

In 2006, Michael Carrick was signed as a replacement for Roy Keane for £14 million, although the figure may eventually rise in the future to £18.6 million depending on appearances and results. United started the season well, and for the first time ever won their first four Premier League games. They set the early pace in the Premier League and never relinquished top spot from the tenth match of the 38–game season. The January 2006 signings had a huge impact on United's performances; Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidić came in to form a solid back line along with already existing players Rio Ferdinand and skipper Gary Neville. The signing of Michael Carrick, which was questioned and criticised by a large portion of the media, brought stability and further creativity in the United midfield, forming an effective partnership with Paul Scholes. Park Ji-Sung and Ryan Giggs both underlined their value to the first team squad by adding significant pace and incisiveness in attack with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ferguson celebrated the 20th anniversary of his appointment as manager of Manchester United on 6 November 2006. Tributes also came from Ferguson's players, both past and present, as well as his old foe, Arsène Wenger, his old captain, Roy Keane, and current players. The party was spoiled the following day when United endured a single-goal defeat at the hands of Southend in the fourth round of the Carling Cup. However, on 1 December it was announced that Manchester United had signed 35 year old Henrik Larsson on loan, a player that Ferguson had admired for many years, and attempted to capture previously. On 23 December 2006, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the club's 2000th goal under the helm of Ferguson in a match against Aston Villa.

Manchester United subsequently won their ninth Premier League title but were denied a unique fourth double by Chelsea's Didier Drogba scoring a late goal in the FA Cup Final at Wembley.

In the Champions League, the club reached the semi-finals, recording a 7–1 home win over Roma in the quarter-final second leg, but lost at the San Siro to Milan 3–0 in the second leg of the semi-final after being 3–2 up from the first leg. Still, it was a strong sign that United were on their way back to dominance after a couple of years of being overshadowed by Arsenal and more particularly Chelsea.

For the 2007–08 season, Ferguson made notable signings to reinforce United's first team. Long-term target Owen Hargreaves joined from Bayern Munich, bringing an end to a year of negotiations. Ferguson further bolstered the midfield with the additions of young Portuguese winger Nani and Brazilian playmaker Anderson. The last summer signing was of West Ham United and Argentina striker Carlos Tévez after a complex and protracted transfer saga.

United had their worst start to a season under Ferguson, drawing their first two league games before suffering a 1–0 defeat to local rivals Manchester City. However, United recovered and began a tight race with Arsenal for the title. After a good run of form, Ferguson claimed that throughout his time at Manchester United, this was the best squad he had managed to assemble thus far.

On 16 February 2008, United beat Arsenal 4–0 in an FA Cup Fifth Round match at Old Trafford, but were knocked out by eventual winners Portsmouth (a mid table side in the league) in the quarter final on 8 March, losing 1–0 at home. United having had a penalty claim turned down, Ferguson alleged after the game that Keith Hackett, general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, was "not doing his job properly". Ferguson was subsequently charged by the FA with improper conduct, which he decided to contest. This was the second charge Ferguson faced in the season, following his complaints against the referee after United lost 1–0 at Bolton Wanderers – a charge he decided not to contest.

On 11 May 2008, Ferguson led Manchester United to a tenth Premier League title, exactly 25 years to the day after he led Aberdeen to European glory against Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners' Cup. Nearest rivals Chelsea – level on points going into the final round of matches, but with an inferior goal difference – could only draw 1–1 at home to Bolton, finishing two points adrift of the champions. United's title win was sealed with a 2–0 win over Wigan Athletic, managed by former United captain Steve Bruce, who before the game blew the whistle on suggestions that he would give his old club an easy ride – just as Bryan Robson had done 12 years earlier.

On 21 May 2008, Ferguson won his second European Cup with Manchester United as they beat Chelsea 6–5 on penalties in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, following a 1–1 draw after extra time in the first ever all-English UEFA Champions League Final. A penalty miss from Cristiano Ronaldo meant that John Terry's spot-kick would have given the trophy to Chelsea if successfully converted, but Terry blew his chance of glory and in the end it was Edwin van der Sar's blocking of a Nicolas Anelka penalty which gave the trophy to Manchester United for the second time under Ferguson and for the third time overall.

After winning the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League Ferguson had stated that his intention to leave Manchester United within the next three years, meaning that he would be gone by the summer of 2011. Manchester United Chief Executive David Gill moved quickly to calm the speculation about Ferguson's pending retirement.

Another two league titles and League Cups

Although the team had a slow start to the 2008–09 season, United won the Premier League with a game to spare, making Ferguson the first manager in the history of English football to win the Premier League three times consecutively, on two separate occasions. Ferguson had now won 11 league titles at Manchester United, and the 2008–09 season title success put them level with Liverpool as league champions on a record 18 occasions in total. They also won the Football League Cup on penalties after a goalless Wembley draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

They contested the 2009 Champions League final against FC Barcelona on 27 May 2009 but lost 2–0.

After the presentation ceremony, Ferguson conceded that he would stay on at United for as long as his health permitted him and that he would be glad to win the league title once more. This would make United's total league wins one more than rivals Liverpool, becoming the outright leader in total wins.

In 2009–10, Ferguson added another Football League Cup to his honours list as United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 in the Wembley final on 28 February 2010. However, his dreams of a third European Cup were ended a few weeks later when United were edged out of the competition in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich on away goals. And their hopes of a record 19th league title were ended on the last day of the season when Chelsea beat them to the Premier League title, crushing Wigan Athletic 8–0 and rendering United's 4–0 win over Stoke City meaningless. Around this time, several newspapers carried reports that Ferguson was due to retire at the end of the 2010–11 season, but he denied these rumours and insisted that he wants to go out on a high and will not retire during a time of struggle.

On 8 August 2010, Ferguson added another FA Community Shield to his honours list as United defeated Chelsea 3–1 in the final in Wembley. On 19 December 2010, Ferguson became Manchester United's longest serving manager in history, overtaking Matt Busby's record of 24 years, 1 month and 13 days in charge of the club. He ended the season by winning his 12th and Manchester United's 19th league title and thus overtaking Liverpool's record of 18. Manchester United faced Barcelona again on 28 May 2011 in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final, their third in four years, but United lost 3–1. Analyst Alan Hansen stated that he believed Ferguson was "the key component" in United's success that season, so key in fact that "[he] would have claimed the crown with any of the other top sides had he been in charge of them". With Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes all retiring in 2011, Ferguson spent big by signing defender Phil Jones from Blackburn Rovers and winger Ashley Young from Aston Villa for around £17 million each, and goalkeeper David de Gea from Atlético Madrid for around £19 million.

1999 testimonial

On 11 October 1999, a special testimonial match was played in honour of Ferguson's contribution to the team. Manchester United played against a team dubbed "Rest of the World XI", managed by Ottmar Hitzfeld, with his team consisting of names such as Henrik Larsson, Gianluca Vialli, Cafu, Paul Gascoigne, George Weah, Peter Schmeichel and Eric Cantona, but with 20 minutes to go there was a mass substitution of their players, who were replaced by a former Manchester United XI; Peter Schmeichel, Paul Parker, Clayton Blackmore, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Darren Ferguson, Mark Hughes, Lee Sharpe, and three number sevens: Bryan Robson, David Beckham and Eric Cantona. The World XI won the game 4–2.

Controversies

Gordon Strachan

In his 1999 autobiography Ferguson stated of Gordon Strachan "I decided this man could not be trusted an inch – I would not want to expose my back to him in a hurry". Strachan's reaction to the attack, in is own autobiography, ''My Life in Football'', was one of being "surprised and disappointed", but did not sue for libel, and more recently they have "declared something of a truce".

David Beckham and draw fixing

In 2003, Ferguson was involved in a dressing room argument with United player David Beckham, resulting in an injury to Beckham, alleged to have been caused by Ferguson kicking a football boot in frustration which hit the player in the face. On 5 April 2003, Ferguson claimed that the Champions League draw was fixed in favour of Spanish and Italian teams, resulting in a fine on 1 May of 10,000 Swiss francs (£4,600).

Rock of Gibraltar

In 2003, Ferguson launched legal action against the then major United shareholder John Magnier over stud rights for race horse Rock of Gibraltar. Magnier counter-sued Ferguson by filing a "Motion to Comply" requiring Ferguson to substantiate his claim for half of Rock of Gibraltar's stud fees. The legal issues were further compounded by the request for "99 Questions" to be answered over Ferguson's transfer dealings, including those of Jaap Stam, Juan Verón, Tim Howard, David Bellion, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kléberson. The case was eventually settled out of Court.

The BBC

Ferguson refused to give interviews to the BBC after a documentary called ''Father and Son'' was shown on UK television in 2004. According to an article in ''The Independent'' newspaper, the documentary had "portrayed his agent son, Jason, as somebody who exploited his father's influence and position to his own ends in the transfer market." The same newspaper article made it clear that "Ferguson Jnr" was never found guilty of any wrong-doing, and it quoted Ferguson Senior as follows: "They [the BBC] did a story about my son that was whole lot of nonsense. It all made-up stuff and 'brown paper bags' and all that kind of carry-on. It was a horrible attack on my son's honour and he should never have been accused of that.". Subsequent interviews on BBC programmes such as ''Match of the Day'' were done by his assistant Carlos Queiroz, and later Mike Phelan.

Under new Premiership rules intended for the 2010–11 season, Ferguson was required to end his BBC boycott. However he refused to end his boycott and Manchester United confirmed the club would pay the resulting fines. On 25 August 2011, Ferguson met with BBC director general Mark Thompson and BBC North director Peter Salmon; the result of the meeting was that Ferguson agreed to end his seven-year boycott.

Mind games and relationships with other managers

Ferguson is well known for using what the press have called "mind games" with fellow Premiership managers. This approach normally involves making a derogatory comment at a pre-match press conference about the opposition Manager or their team. This has led to several spats in the past with managers such as Kevin Keegan, Arsène Wenger, Rafael Benítez and Mark Hughes.

Recalling of loan players

Following the sacking of his son, Darren by Preston North End, Ferguson immediately recalled loaned players Ritchie De Laet, Joshua King and Matthew James from Preston under its new managerial system. He later explained that it was the players' own request not to return to Preston after the change of manager. Stoke City manager, Tony Pulis followed soon after in recalling two former Manchester United players from Preston as well, stating the need for the players to supplement his team's intensive schedule.

Referees

Ferguson has received numerous punishments for abusing and publicly criticising match officials when he has perceived them to be at fault:

20 October 2003 – Two match touchline ban and fined £10,000 after using abusive and/or insulting words towards fourth official Jeff Winter.

14 December 2007 – Two match touchline ban and fined £5,000 after using abusive and/or insulting words towards Mark Clattenburg.

18 November 2008 – Two match touchline ban and fined £10,000 after confronting Mike Dean after a game.

12 November 2009 – Four match touchline ban (two suspended) and fined £20,000 for comments made about the fitness of Alan Wiley.

16 March 2011 – Five match touchline ban (three plus the two suspended for the above offence) and fined £30,000 for comments made questioning the performance and fairness of Martin Atkinson.

It has also been suggested that Ferguson's intimidation of referees results in "Fergie Time": that is, unusually generous injury time being added in matches where Manchester United are behind. The phrase is at least as old as 2004, and a statistical analysis by ''The Times'' suggests that this comment might be valid, though the article points out that other footballing criteria may explain the correlation between extra added time and United being behind.

Legacy

One recurring theme of Ferguson's management of Manchester United has been his view that no player is bigger than the club. He has consistently taken a "my way or the highway" approach in his dealings with players and the pressure of this management tactic has often been the cause of many notable players' departures. Over the years players such as Gordon Strachan, Paul McGrath, Paul Ince, Jaap Stam, Dwight Yorke, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gabriel Heinze have left the club after varying degrees of conflict with Ferguson. It is also suggested that one of the most inspirational players in the club's history, Roy Keane, was a victim of Ferguson's wrath following damning criticism of his teammates on the club's in-house television channel, MUTV. This disciplinary line that he takes with such highly paid, high-profile players has been cited as a reason for the ongoing success of Manchester United.

The phrase "squeaky-bum time" coined by Ferguson in reference to the tense final stages of a league competition has been included in the ''Collins English Dictionary'' and the ''Oxford English Dictionary''.

Personal life

Ferguson lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire, with his wife, Cathy Ferguson, Lady Ferguson (née Holding). They married in 1966 and have three sons: Mark (born 1968), and twins Darren (born 1972), current manager of Peterborough United and former manager of Preston North End, and Jason (born 1972), who runs an events management company.

In 1998, Ferguson was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party. He is also a lifelong Labour voterand in January 2011 Graham Stringer, a Labour MP in Manchester, called for Ferguson to be elected to the House of Lords. If this happens, it would make Ferguson the first current or former footballer or football manager to be in the House of Lords.

Honours

Player

; St. Johnstone

Scottish Football League Division 2 (2nd tier) (1): 1962–63

; Falkirk

Scottish Football League Division 2 (2nd tier) (1): 1969–70

Managerial

Ferguson was made an Inaugural Inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a manager. In 2003, Ferguson became an inaugural recipient of the FA Coaching Diploma, awarded to all coaches who had at least 10 years' experience of being a manager or head coach.

He is the Vice-President of the National Football Museum, based in Preston, and a member of the Executive Committee of the League Managers Association.

In addition to being the only manager to win the top league honours, and the 'Double', North and South of the England–Scotland border (winning the Premier League with Manchester United, and the Scottish Premier Division with Aberdeen), he is also the last manager to win the Scottish championship with a non Old Firm team, achieving this in the 1984–85 season with Aberdeen. He is also the only manager in English football to have managed to finish in the top three league places in 20 consecutive seasons, since the 1991–92 season.

On 5 November 2011, the Old Trafford North Stand was officially renamed the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand in honour of his 25 years as manager of Manchester United.

He has won 48 trophies as a manager, making him the most successful British football manager in history.

; St. Mirren

Scottish First Division (1): 1976–77

; Aberdeen

Scottish Premier Division (3): 1979–80, 1983–84, 1984–85

Scottish Cup (4): 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86

Scottish League Cup (1): 1985–86

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1982–83

UEFA Super Cup (1): 1983

; Manchester United

Premier League (12): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11

FA Cup (5): 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04

League Cup (4): 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10

FA Charity/Community Shield (10): 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011

UEFA Champions League (2): 1998–99, 2007–08

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1990–91

UEFA Super Cup (1): 1991

Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999

FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008

Individual

LMA Manager of the Decade (1): 1990s

LMA Manager of the Year (3): 1998–99, 2007–08, 2010–11

LMA Special Merit Award (2): 2009, 2011

Premier League Manager of the Season (10): 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11

Premier League Manager of the Month (26): August 1993, October 1994, February 1996, March 1996, February 1997, October 1997, January 1999, April 1999, August 1999, March 2000, April 2000, February 2001, April 2003, December 2003, February 2005, March 2006, August 2006, October 2006, February 2007, January 2008, March 2008, January 2009, April 2009, September 2009, January 2011, August 2011

UEFA Manager of the Year (1): 1998–99

UEFA Team of the Year (2): 2007, 2008

Onze d'Or Coach of the Year (3): 1999, 2007, 2008

IFFHS World's Best Club Coach of the Year (2): 1999, 2008

IFFHS World's Best Coach of the 21st Century (1): 2012

World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year (4): 1993, 1999, 2007, 2008

Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year (1): 2000

BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award (1): 1999

BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year Award (1): 1999

BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award (1): 2001

English Football Hall of Fame (Manager) : 2002

European Hall of Fame (Manager): 2008

FIFA Presidential Award: 2011

Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 – 2001–02)

* Manager of the Decade

* Most Coaching Appearances (392 games)

FWA Tribute Award : 1996

PFA Merit Award: 2007

Mussabini Medal : 1999

Orders and special awards

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): 1983

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE): 1995

Knight Bachelor (Kt.): 1999

Statistics

As a player

|- |1957–58||rowspan="4"|Queen's Park||rowspan="3"|Second Division | || || || || || || || || || |- |1958–59|| || || || || || || || || || |- |1959–60|| || || || || || || || || || |- !1957–60 !! Total !31 !! 15 !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! |- |1960–61||rowspan="5"|St. Johnstone||rowspan=2|First Division | || || || || || || || || || |- |1961–62|| || || || || || || || || || |- |1962–63||Second Division|| || || || || || || || || || |- |1963–64||First Division|| || || || || || || || || || |- !1960–64 !! Total !37 !! 19 !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! |- |1964–65||rowspan="4"|Dunfermline Athletic||rowspan="3"|First Division | || || || || || || || || || |- |1965–66|| || || || || || || || || || |- |1966–67|| || || || || || || || || || |- !1964–67 !! Total !89 !! 66 !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! |- |1967–68||rowspan="3"|Rangers||rowspan=2|First Division | || || || || || || || || || |- |1968–69|| || || || || || || || || || |- !1967–69 !! Total !41 !! 25 !! 6 !! 10 !! 4 !! 9 !! 6 !! 0 !! 57 !! 44 |- |1969–70||rowspan="5"|Falkirk||rowspan="4"|First Division | || || || || || || || || || |- |1970–71|| || || || || || || || || || |- |1971–72|| || || || || || || || || || |- |1972–73|| || || || || || || || || || |- !1969–73 !! Total !95 !! 36 !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! |- |1973–74||rowspan=2|Ayr United||First Division |24||9|| || || || || || || || |- !1973–74 !! Total !24 !! 9 !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! 317||170|| || || || || || || || 317||170|| || || || || || || ||

As a manager

{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center |- !rowspan=2 width=120|Team !rowspan=2 width=50|Nat !rowspan=2 width=120|From !rowspan=2 width=120|To !colspan=8|Record |- !width=40|G !width=40|W !width=40|D !width=40|L !width=40|GF !width=40|GA !width=40|GD !width=50|Win % |- |align=left|East Stirlingshire | |align=left|1 June 1974 |align=left|20 October 1974 |- |align=left|St. Mirren | |align=left|21 October 1974 |align=left|31 May 1978 |- |align=left|Aberdeen | |align=left|1 August 1978 |align=left|5 November 1986 |- |align=left|Scotland | |align=left|10 September 1985 |align=left|13 June 1986 |- |align=left|Manchester United | |align=left|6 November 1986 |align=left|''Present'' |- !colspan="4"|Total |}

Notes

References

External links

Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United Managerial Record at mufcinfo.com

A look back at 20 years in charge at Man United, includes video interview with Bryan Robson and Ian Rush

Alex Ferguson celebrates 1,000th game with Manchester Utd

English Football Hall of Fame

Sir Alex Ferguson: A career profile with pictures

Sir Alex Ferguson's managerial stats according to the official Manchester United statistics website

Vujadin Boškov |after= Otto Rehhagel|years=1990–91}} Jupp Heynckes |after= Vicente del Bosque|years=1998–99}} Carlo Ancelotti |after= Josep Guardiola|years=2007–08}} }}

Category:Scottish footballers Category:Ayr United F.C. players Category:Dunfermline Athletic F.C. players Category:Falkirk F.C. players Category:Queen's Park F.C. players Category:Rangers F.C. players Category:St. Johnstone F.C. players Category:Scottish football managers Category:The Football League managers Category:Aberdeen F.C. managers Category:East Stirlingshire F.C. managers Category:St. Mirren F.C. managers Category:Premier League managers Category:Manchester United F.C. managers Category:UEFA Champions League winning managers Category:Scotland national football team managers Category:1986 FIFA World Cup managers Category:Expatriate football managers in England Category:British racehorse owners and breeders Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Football players and officials awarded knighthoods Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:English Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:People educated at Govan High School Category:People from Govan Category:Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:Sportspeople from Glasgow Category:Scottish Football League representative players Category:Scottish Football League managers

ar:أليكس فيرغسون az:Aleks Ferqyuson bn:অ্যালেক্স ফার্গুসন bg:Алекс Фъргюсън bs:Alex Ferguson ca:Alexander Chapman Ferguson cs:Alex Ferguson cy:Alex Ferguson da:Alex Ferguson de:Alex Ferguson et:Alex Ferguson el:Άλεξ Φέργκιουσον es:Alex Ferguson eu:Alex Ferguson fa:الکس فرگوسن fr:Alex Ferguson ga:Alex Ferguson gd:Alex MacFhearghais gl:Alex Ferguson gu:એલેક્સ ફર્ગ્યુસન ko:앨릭스 퍼거슨 hi:एलेक्स फर्ग्यूसन hr:Alex Ferguson id:Alex Ferguson is:Alex Ferguson it:Alex Ferguson he:אלכס פרגוסון jv:Sir Alex Ferguson kn:ಅಲೆಕ್ಸ್ ಫರ್ಗುಸನ್ ka:სერ ალექს ფერგიუსონი kk:Алекс Фергюсон sw:Alex Ferguson lv:Alekss Fergusons hu:Alex Ferguson ml:അലക്സ് ഫെർഗൂസൺ mt:Alex Ferguson mr:अॅलेक्स फर्ग्युसन ms:Alex Ferguson my:အဲလက်စ်ဖာဂူဆန် nl:Alex Ferguson ja:アレックス・ファーガソン no:Alex Ferguson nn:Alex Ferguson pl:Alex Ferguson pt:Alex Ferguson ro:Alex Ferguson ru:Фергюсон, Алекс sq:Alex Ferguson simple:Alex Ferguson sk:Alex Ferguson sr:Алекс Фергусон su:Alex Ferguson fi:Alex Ferguson sv:Alex Ferguson ta:அலெக்ஸ் ஃபெர்குஸன் te:అలెక్స్ ఫెర్గూసన్ th:อเล็กซ์ เฟอร์กูสัน tr:Alex Ferguson uk:Алекс Фергюсон vi:Alex Ferguson wo:Alex Ferguson zh:亚历克斯·弗格森

playername	Patrick Vieira
fullname	Patrick Vieira
dateofbirth	June 23, 1976
cityofbirth	Dakar
countryofbirth	Senegal
height
position	Defensive midfielder
youthyears1	1984–1986
youthclubs1	FC Trappes
youthyears2	1986–1991
youthclubs2	FC Drouais
youthyears3	1991–1993
youthclubs3	Tours
years1	1993–1995
clubs1	Cannes
caps1	49
goals1	2
years2	1995–1996
clubs2	Milan
caps2	2
goals2	0
years3	1996–2005
clubs3	Arsenal
caps3	279
goals3	29
years4	2005–2006
clubs4	Juventus
caps4	31
goals4	5
years5	2006–2010
clubs5	Internazionale
caps5	67
goals5	6
years6	2010–2011
clubs6	Manchester City
caps6	28
goals6	3
totalcaps	456
totalgoals	45
nationalyears1	1995–1996
nationalteam1	France U21
nationalcaps1	7
nationalgoals1	0
nationalyears2	1997–2009
nationalteam2	France
nationalcaps2	107
nationalgoals2	6 }}

Patrick Vieira (born 23 June 1976 in Dakar, Senegal) is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City.

He rose to prominence during his time at Arsenal from 1996 to 2005, where he won three Premier League titles – one unbeaten – and four FA Cups, eventually becoming club captain. After leaving Arsenal in 2005, he spent one season at Juventus before joining Internazionale in 2006, following Juventus' relegation for their part in a match-fixing scandal. He has 107 caps for France, and was part of their 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000-winning sides.

In May 2010, Vieira was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He announced his retirement from professional football on 14 July 2011. Vieira is currently Football Development Executive at Manchester City with a role to oversee aspects such as youth development, commercial partners and the club's social responsibility programme, "City in the Community".

Club career

Early career

Vieira's family moved from Senegal to Dreux, France when he was eight, and he did not return to Senegal until 2003. His parents divorced when Vieira was young, and he never met his father again. His grandfather served in the French Army, making him eligible for French nationality at birth. His surname, Vieira, which is Portuguese, is his mother's maiden name. His mother originates from Cape Verde. Vieira first played for Cannes, where he made his debut at the age of 17 and captained the team aged just 19. In summer 1995, he was signed by Italian giants AC Milan, though he played mainly in the reserves and made only two first-team appearances.

Arsenal

In September 1996, the incoming Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger requested Vieira's purchase from Milan prior to taking up his position. Vieira was signed for £3.5 million, a figure which would be deemed a bargain in years to come. His height, stamina and physical strength allowed him to settle into the English game quickly, while his composure and the quality of his passing cemented his position as an integral part of Wenger's stylish attacking side. Forming a powerful midfield partnership with French compatriot Emmanuel Petit, Vieira won the Premiership and FA Cup Double in 1998, his first full season at the club. That summer, he was called up to France's 1998 World Cup squad.

Vieira's early years at Arsenal were beset by disciplinary problems. In the 2000–01 season, he was sent off twice in two consecutive matches (the opening matches of the season), though after returning he did not receive another card for 28 matches. In all, he has been sent off twelve times in his career: nine times with Arsenal and once each with Juventus, France and Internazionale.

Vieira would go on to win Euro 2000 with France, as well as a second Double with Arsenal in 2002. He also played in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final. Arsenal lost the Final to Turkish side Galatasaray on penalties, with Vieira missing his. After Tony Adams's retirement in 2002, Vieira (already vice-captain) became club captain, since which his disciplinary problems cooled significantly. Though he missed Arsenal's 2003 FA Cup Final win with injury and therefore did not qualify for a winner's medal, Vieira lifted the trophy jointly with captain for the day David Seaman.

In 2003–04 at Arsenal, he captained the side on an historic unbeaten season in the Premier League. At the beginning of this campaign he was in and out of the side because of a hamstring injury, with Ray Parlour replacing him in the side. However, Vieira returned for the Champions League match against Lokomotiv Moscow, with the Gunners winning 2–0 and qualifying for the 1st Knockout round.

2004–05 season and Madrid speculation

Following Real's unsuccessful approach, Vieira remained Arsenal's captain for the 2004–05 season, during which the club broke Nottingham Forest's record for the number of games unbeaten in the Premiership. Vieira made a solid start to the season but was not in sparkling form. Arsenal had passed the record and were 49 games unbeaten and were 1st with 25 points from a possible 27. They were 49 and out when they lost to Manchester United, Vieira's and Arsenal's form decreased with draws against relegation candidates Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Brom which saw them fall to 2nd.

Vieira scored his first goal of the season in a topsy-turvy North London derby which Arsenal won 5–4. Vieira scored his second goal of the season in vain as Arsenal lost to a weakened Liverpool. Chelsea were starting to sail away with the title and Arsenal were struggling to keep up with Chelsea despite a creditable 2–2 draw with the league leaders. Arsenal then suffered a 2–0 defeat at the hands of Bolton before Manchester United completed the double over Arsenal with a 4–2 win at Highbury in which Vieira scored the opening goal. Before this game started, Vieira had a big confrontation with Manchester United captain Roy Keane, in which Keane confronted him about an incident involving Gary Neville. Arsenal fell to 3rd, but improved to take 2nd ahead of United. Arsenal also finished with impressive home wins against 5th place Liverpool and 4th place Everton with Vieira scoring against Everton in a massive 7–0 win.

Vieira scored in the 4th round of the FA Cup 2004-05 in a 2–0 win against Wolves. In the 2005 FA Cup Final he scored the winning penalty in a penalty shoot-out after a 0–0 draw with Manchester United. Renewed speculation about Vieira's future emerged at the conclusion of the season, and the cup victory ultimately proved to be his final game for Arsenal.

In August 2008, Vieira was ranked the fifth-greatest Arsenal player of all-time in a fan poll conducted on the club's official website.

Exit from Arsenal

On 14 July 2005, Arsenal accepted a bid of €20 million from Italian giants Juventus and Vieira agreed a five-year contract with the Serie A side the following day. One of the reasons for his transfer was also the emergence of teenager Cesc Fàbregas, who had played in place of Vieira when the latter was injured.

In total, Vieira played 407 times for Arsenal and scored 34 times. In his time at Arsenal, Vieira appeared in the PFA team of the year six years in a row from the 1998–99 season up to the 2003–04 season.

He returned to Arsenal for one game on 22 July 2006 in a testimonial for Dennis Bergkamp as one of the Arsenal legends against Ajax legends. Despite his departure, Vieira has remained a favourite among Arsenal fans. An image of him sits alongside 14 other past and present Arsenal greats in "The Armoury", the club's shop at the Emirates Stadium.

Juventus

After Vieira's move to Juventus, then-Juventus manager Fabio Capello used Vieira in a midfield consisting of Brazilian Emerson and Czech Pavel Nedvěd. He helped Juventus to record their best ever start to a league season. Despite his performances dipping as the result of a persistent groin injury and a reported training ground bust-up with team mate Zlatan Ibrahimović, Vieira helped Juventus retain the Italian Championship (later stripped).

In a twist of fate, Vieira returned to Highbury on 28 March 2006 to play against Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal won 2–0 on aggregate, scoring twice in the first leg. Vieira received a yellow card in the first leg match at Highbury and was suspended for the return leg on 5 April 2006. During the first leg he was the subject of a strong tackle by former club and national team mate Robert Pirès. Vieira was left crestfallen as Pires regained possession and Arsenal attacked, scoring the first goal of the tie through Cesc Fàbregas. Pirès humorously quipped that it was the first time in 13 years he had got the better of Vieira physically.

Internazionale

Juventus were stripped of their 2004–05 and 2005–06 titles after it was revealed they were involved in a match-fixing scandal. Juventus were relegated to Serie B and deducted 17 points by the Italian Football Federation for their involvement, prompting many of the club's major stars to move elsewhere. After press speculation linking him to various clubs, including a move back to Arsenal, on 2 August 2006 Vieira officially signed a 4 year-deal for Internazionale in a deal to be worth €9.5m, less than half the €20m fee Juventus had paid just 12 months prior. Vieira declared he wanted to continue to play at the highest level at the presentation conference, which is his reason to leave Juve.

In his first season at Inter, he added to his trophy cabinet the Italian Super Cup (scoring a brace in that game) as well as the 2006–07, 2007–08 and 2008–09 Serie A titles. But due to injury, he failed to become one of the regular starter, Olivier Dacourt, initially a backup player, became Mancini's first choice. And since the club signed Sulley Muntari and Thiago Motta, Vieira became of lesser and lesser importance in the team.

In response to extensive media speculation regarding a possible return by Vieira to his former club in 2009, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger admitted that he would contemplate re-signing Vieira. However the move never happened and Vieira remained at Inter. On 6 January Vieira unusually played as starter against Chievo, which was his 8th league start of the season. Before the match Inter had lost Esteban Cambiasso and Sulley Muntari due to injury, Dejan Stanković and Thiago Motta suspended. José Mourinho stated that Vieira had played his last game at Inter after the match.

Manchester City

On 8 January 2010, it was confirmed that Vieira was having a medical at Manchester City and he would sign a six-month deal, where he would link up with former Arsenal colleagues Kolo Touré and Sylvinho. The contract also included an option for a 12-month extension. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini described Vieira as an excellent midfielder with a winner's mentality and that he would fit into Manchester City's squad very well. He made his debut for Manchester City in the 2–1 defeat to Hull City. Three days later he made his first start for City against Bolton Wanderers, where he assisted Emmanuel Adebayor through a long ball in the 2–0 victory. He scored his first goal for the club against Burnley in their 6–1 win on 3 April 2010. On 9 June 2010, Vieira agreed to a one-year extension to his contract, which kept him at Eastlands until the summer of 2011. On 11 September 2010, he started his first game in his second season for the club and went on to score the equalizing goal against Blackburn before being substituted in the 65th minute. On 18 January 2011, he scored his second goal of the season in Manchester City's 4–2 third round replay against Leicester City, this was his 50th appearance in the competition and the goal that he scored was the first goal he scored in the FA Cup since he scored Arsenal's winning penalty in the 2005 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. He continued his good run in the FA Cup by scoring the first two goals, during their 5–0 win in the Fourth Round replay against Notts County and was awarded Man of the Match honours. He was praised for how well he linked up with Aleksandar Kolarov. Vieira also scored in the Premier League on 3 April 2011, against Sunderland, having come on as a substitute for Adam Johnson in the 66th minute. He scored no less than a minute later, having touched the ball into the goal. He made a late substitute appearance in May 2011, as Manchester City won the FA Cup with a 1–0 win over Stoke City at Wembley Stadium.

Retirement

On 14 July 2011, Vieira announced his retirement from playing and accepted a training and youth development role at Manchester City with the title of Football Development Executive.

International career

Vieira made his debut for France in 1997 against the Netherlands. He was part of the France squad in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He came on as a substitute in the final against Brazil, and set up Arsenal team mate Emmanuel Petit for France's third goal in a 3–0 win. He, with the rest of the squad, was declared a Knight of the Légion d'honneur, France's highest decoration, in 1998.

He subsequently played as a first choice midfield player in France's successful campaign in Euro 2000, which they won, beating Italy in the final. He helped France to victory in the 2001 Confederations Cup, ending the tournament as joint top scorer with two goals, including the winner, a header, in the final against Japan. He also played in all three games in the 2002 World Cup, in which France were eliminated in the group stage, failing to score a goal. He was injured and missed France's defeat to Greece at Euro 2004.

Vieira was appointed France's national team captain on Zinedine Zidane's retirement from international football. Nonetheless, he and veteran defender Lilian Thuram were instrumental in convincing Zidane to end his retirement and help the flagging campaign to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. Vieira even handed back the captaincy of the team to Zidane.

On 23 June 2006, his 30th birthday, Vieira took the captain's armband for the match in place of the suspended playmaker Zidane, whom he shared the birthday with, scoring the first goal when France beat Togo 2–0 in the group stages of the 2006 FIFA World Cup; Vieira assisted Thierry Henry for France's second. This win helped France advance to the knockout stages, coming second behind Switzerland, and it prolonged Zidane's international career. In the round of sixteen, Vieira scored the second goal in France's 3–1 defeat of Spain; France went on to beat favourites Brazil 1–0 in the quarter-finals, and Portugal by the same score in the semi-finals, which gave them a place in the final against Italy. Vieira was one of the best midfielders at the tournament with a string of fine performances. Vieira started the final, but was substituted due to injury in the second half, likely sustained when he collided with Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro. Italy won 5–3 on penalties after the game finished 1–1 after extra time.

On 5 August 2006, Vieira was reappointed captain of the French national team for the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. However, he played no part in the group games at Euro 2008 for a struggling France due to a niggling knee injury. His last cap with the national team was on 2 June 2009 in a friendly match against Nigeria. He was not included by coach Raymond Domenech in France's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and after France's failed campaign effectively announced his international retirement by declaring that he would not make himself available to play under former team-mate and new French Manager Laurent Blanc. On 7 July 2010, Vieira confirmed again that he was no longer interested in playing for France and will devote his time to . Altogether, Vieira won 107 caps for France, scoring six goals.

Career statistics

|- |1993–94||rowspan="3"|Cannes||rowspan="3"|Division 1||5||0||1||0||||||colspan="2"|-||6||0 |- |1994–95||31||2||2||0||1||1||4||1||38||4 |- |1995–96||13||0||||||||||4||0||17||0 |- |1995–96||Milan||Serie A||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0||5||0 |- |1996–97||rowspan="9"|Arsenal||rowspan="9"|Premier League||31||2||3||0||3||0||1||0||38||2 |- |1997–98||33||2||9||0||2||0||2||0||46||2 |- |1998–99||34||3||5||1||1||0||3||0||43||4 |- |1999–2000||30||2||2||0||1||0||14||0||47||2 |- |2000–01||30||6||6||1||||||12||0||48||7 |- |2001–02||36||2||7||0||colspan="2"|-||11||1||54||3 |- |2002–03||24||3||5||0||1||0||12||1||42||4 |- |2003–04||29||3||5||0||3||0||7||0||44||3 |- |2004–05||32||6||6||1||colspan="2"|-||6||0||44||7 |- |2005–06||Juventus||Serie A||31||5||3||0||1||0||7||0||42||5 |- |2006–07||rowspan="4"|Internazionale||rowspan="4"|Serie A||20||1||3||0||1||2||4||1||28||4 |- |2007–08||16||3||3||0||1||0||3||0||23||3 |- |2008–09||19||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||3||0||24||1 |- |2009–10||12||1||1||0||1||0||2||0||16||1 |- |2009–10||rowspan="2"|Manchester City||rowspan="2"|Premier League||13||1||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||14||1 |- |2010–11||15||2||8||3||1||0||8||0||32||5 49||2||3||1||1||0||8||1||61||4 100||11||13||0||4||2||21||1||138||14 307||32||57||6||12||0||76||2||452||40 456||45||73||7||17||2||105||4||651||58

In League Cup, including Charity Shield and Supercoppa Italiana

|- |1997||5||0 |- |1998||5||0 |- |1999||8||0 |- |2000||17||0 |- |2001||13||2 |- |2002||12||2 |- |2003||5||0 |- |2004||11||0 |- |2005||7||0 |- |2006||17||2 |- |2007||4||0 |- |2008||2||0 |- |2009||1||0 |- !Total||107||6 |}

Honours

Club

Arsenal

Premier League (3): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04

FA Cup (4): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05

FA Community Shield (4): 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004

Juventus

Serie A (1): 2005–06 Serie A

Internazionale

Serie A (4): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10

Supercoppa Italiana (2): 2006, 2008

Manchester City

FA Cup (1): 2010–11

International

France

FIFA World Cup (1): 1998

UEFA European Championship (1): 2000

FIFA Confederations Cup (1): 2001

Individual

UEFA Football Championship Team of the Tournament (1): 2000

FIFA Confederations Cup Top Scorer (1): 2001

FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1): 2006

PFA Team of the Year (6): 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04

Premier League Player of the Season (1): 2000-01

UEFA Team of the Year (1): 2001

French Player of the Year (1): 2001

Premier League Overseas Team of the Decade (1): 1992–93 – 2001–02

Premier League Overall Team of the Decade (1): 1992–93 – 2001–02

FIFA 100

Orders and special awards

Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur: 1998

Personal life

Vieira and his Trinidadian wife, Cheryl, first met in England while he was playing for Arsenal.

References

External links

FFF.FR Profile

Official Internazionale site

Premier League profile

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:People from Dakar Category:French people of Cape Verdean descent Category:French people of Senegalese descent Category:Association football midfielders Category:French footballers Category:France under-21 international footballers Category:France international footballers Category:French expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Italy Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:Tours FC players Category:AS Cannes players Category:A.C. Milan players Category:Arsenal F.C. players Category:Manchester City F.C. players Category:Juventus F.C. players Category:F.C. Internazionale Milano players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Premier League players Category:Serie A footballers Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players Category:FIFA Confederations Cup-winning players Category:UEFA European Football Championship-winning players Category:Footballers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players Category:2001 FIFA Confederations Cup players Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players Category:French expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:Olympic footballers of France Category:FIFA Century Club Category:FIFA 100 Category:Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur

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