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Manchester United Manager Alex Ferguson Attempts To Ban Reporter For Ryan Giggs Question

If news off the pitch has taken your attention, let me be the one to remind you that the year’s biggest soccer match is on Saturday when Manchester United face Barcelona in the Champions League final.

At media day yesterday, AP reporter Rob Harris asked United manager Alex Ferguson about Ryan Giggs‘ importance to the team. Ferguson said matter-of-factly, “All of the players are important, every one of them.”

No big deal, right? A typical reporter’s question answered with a typical coach’s response. In light of recent news and the fact that Ferguson rules over United with an iron fist (he hasn’t spoken to the BBC since 2004), he attempted to ban the reporter from the pre-match press conference on Friday.

He would have gotten his way if it weren’t for the minor detail that the press conference is organized by UEFA, and United has no jurisdiction to ban Harris. I get the phrase, ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely,’ but what did Harris say that irked Ferguson? Sometimes I wish I could attend these press conferences just to play the prick. I’d ask, “Did Giggs fuck Imogen Thomas?” And, “Have Giggs and Wayne Rooney bonded over having both cheated on their wives?”

This is what a United spokesperson said:

I don’t think we can [ban him], but check it out with Uefa. The answer is probably no…

As you know, Sir Alex does not speak to the BBC, but BBC reporters were at Tuesday’s media day as it was organised by Uefa.

So in the same breath they looked into banning a reporter over an innocuous question, they extol how gregarious he is, even with his “enemies.”

Video of the exchange here.