Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson has become a lifetime member of Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ferguson faced off against Frankfurt all the way back in 1979 as manager of Aberdeen, losing 2-1 on aggregate in a UEFA Cup tie.
Frankfurt were drawn against Aberdeen in the group stage of this season’s Europa Conference League, and a delegation from the German club visited Ferguson prior to their 2-0 defeat at Pittodrie in December.
The legendary former manager was announced as Frankfurt’s newest club member on a lifetime basis.
In an interview with Frankfurt’s website, Ferguson opened up on his battle with them during his days as Aberdeen boss.
“Frankfurt were the better team, but we saved the game [first leg] with an equaliser,” Ferguson said. “We had the chance to travel to Frankfurt, where we lost 1-0. Bernd Holzenbein scored the goal in the second game that knocked us out of the competition.
“I learned an important lesson when we played abroad. Some players went out after the game. After that, I made sure that something like that never happened again.”
Ferguson, a proud Scotsman and former manager of the Scotland national team, is also relishing his country facing host nation Germany in the opening game of Euro 2024 this summer.
When asked if Germany has a chance of beating Scotland, Ferguson laughed: “No chance!
“I’ll watch the game live. I have to see it. Scotland isn’t that bad, you know. They have good midfielders, two good full-backs. There have only been difficulties in the striker position in recent years.
“The Scottish fans will be fantastic too. In this regard, I will always remember the 1990 World Cup in Italy. During the group stage I was attending a Scotland game and I saw a big bus coming from Glasgow. They had removed the roof of the bus and were grilling on the double-decker bus. There was no way to get to the stadium without walking past the bus. Of course they saw me and shouted to me: ‘Alex! Come on up, we have prepared a barbecue for you!’
“The Scottish fans are fantastic. The great thing about them and Scottish life is the kilt. Every town in Scotland has its own and the same goes for every football club. Everyone wears it. I won’t wear it at the European Championships, but I’m looking forward to the tournament.”
