Ferguson reported to be considering Manchester retirement
London - Sir Alex Ferguson's future as manager of Manchester United was in doubt on Tuesday after reports in the Telegraph newspaper that he could retire this week.
Sources close to players confirmed they had been told at a club golf day that the 71-year-old will be making an announcement before Sunday's Premier League fixture against Swansea City.
Following last autumn's partial flotation, United are bound by the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, which insists on the release of significant information. That may prevent any handover being as sudden and as secretive as United might have hoped.
Ferguson had seemed to rule out the possibility of ending his 26-year reign this summer in his programme notes for Sunday's defeat to Chelsea.
"I certainly don't have any plans at the moment to walk away from what I believe will be something special," he said. "This team of champions is not going away - we are here for the long ride.
"We will get better and if we apply ourselves in our normal fashion, I see our 20th league title as nothing but the start of another decade of success.
"Whether I will be here to oversee another decade of success remains to be seen, but I certainly don't have any plans at the moment to walk away from what I believe will be something special and worth being around to see."
But there were also reports on Sunday that Ferguson requires a hip operation that might mean he would miss the start of next season.//DPA
