Sir Alex Ferguson
MANCHESTER, England - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is angry about the lack of consultations over the Premier League’s plan to take games overseas.
The league’s 20 clubs agreed unanimously Thursday to look at playing 10 games overseas, starting in the 2010-11 season.
"What disappoints me is (United chief executive) David Gill phoned me yesterday and said, ‘Keep this quiet, we’re going to discuss it,’ and it’s all over the blinking papers this morning," Ferguson said Friday. "So they can’t keep their mouths shut down there (at the Premier League)."
Ferguson wanted more consideration of the idea before going public.
"If they’re going to do these things, they should inquire and take a discussion with managers and players before they come out with all this stuff and make an issue out of it," Ferguson said. "This should be discussed internally by clubs before we come to this position we’re in today."
Ferguson, who has been at Old Trafford for 21 years, suggested he might not be around to see the plan come to fruition.
"I’ll not be here by that time I hope," the Scot said.
The matches would be played at five venues around the world over a single weekend in January 2011. Each city would host one game on Saturday and one on Sunday. The cities have not yet been decided.
The "international round" would be in addition to the traditional 38 games - 19 home, 19 away - each of the clubs currently play.