"The end of an era". 11 years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement from Manchester United

Exactly 11 years ago, on May 8, 2013, Sir Alex Ferguson, the head coach of Manchester United, announced his departure from the club after 27 years in Manchester.

Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed as the head coach of Manchester United on November 6, 1986. Upon his arrival at the helm, he was perturbed by the fact that several key players, including Norman Whiteside, Paul McGrath, and Bryan Robson, were excessively indulging in alcohol and was "disappointed" by their level of physical preparedness. His primary task at the club became instilling discipline.

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When Ferguson took charge, United occupied the 21st place in the league (second from bottom), but by the end of the season, they climbed to the 11th spot.

Sir Alex Ferguson clinched his first championship title seven years later. Following a sluggish start to the 1992/93 season in the newly formed Premier League (as of early November, United held only the 10th position), Ferguson dared to make another transfer. On November 27, 1992, French striker Eric Cantona was acquired from Leeds for £1.2 million, who later became a club legend.

Cantona forged a formidable attacking partnership with Mark Hughes and helped the club ascend to the summit of the league table. At the season's conclusion, United were crowned English champions, outstripping their closest pursuer, Aston Villa, by 10 points.

Sir Alex Ferguson was honored as the Manager of the Year by the League Managers' Association.

Sir Alex Ferguson won his first UEFA Champions League trophy in the 1998/99 season. Overall, this year marked the pinnacle of Manchester United's history. The club triumphed in three major tournaments: the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League. The season was also memorable for its highly dramatic matches.

On June 12, 1999, Sir Alex Ferguson was knighted in recognition of his services to English football.

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On May 8, 2013, Sir Alex Ferguson announced his decision to retire from the position of head coach of the club at the end of the season. At the season's end, Ferguson was named the Premier League's Manager of the Year for the 11th time.

Throughout his career at Manchester United, Ferguson secured 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cup titles, 10 FA Community Shields, two UEFA Champions League titles, and one FIFA Club World Cup title.