Home » Luis Nani uncovers softer side of Sir Alex Ferguson that didn’t care about players arriving to training drunk

Luis Nani uncovers softer side of Sir Alex Ferguson that didn’t care about players arriving to training drunk

by Derick Kinoti


Former Manchester United star Luis Nani has hailed Sir Alex Ferguson’s exceptional man-management skills and credits the legendary United boss for getting the best out of him during his long and illustrious career.

Nani spent six years under Ferguson’s watchful eye between 2007 to 2013.

He won four Premier League titles, the Champions League and Club World Cup with Ferguson at the helm.

Fergie cultivated a reputation over the years as a no-nonsense disciplinarian who only demanded the best out of players and did not stand up for anything less than that.

However, according to Nani, the Scot would occasionally turn a blind eye and give his players leeway to enjoy themselves and at times, even to turn up to training drunk.

Nani spoke to Tribuna Expresso via The Daily Star and said, “If I had the next day off, for example, then I could have some fun…on special days like Christmas or New Year – no one in England cares about that.”

“On New Year, we could even go to training drunk and the coach didn’t care about it. That’s the side of [Sir Alex] that knew how to deal with the players and had the perception to say: this day is special, I can’t make demands.”

“We had been playing non-stop all year long. It was a joy, a moment of relaxation, a different kind of training – clowning around. I won’t lie, I liked nights out.”

The Portuguese added, “It was amazing. He knows how to deal with the player, whether they are older or younger. He knows how to manage their professional career and the human being.”

“With him I can say that I gained a unique experience and maturity because they were very important phases of my life. I needed to grow up really fast, to learn and deal with that culture and the club culture.”

At 36, Nani is currently playing for the A-League club Melbourne Victory.

During pre-season when United travelled to Australia, fans were treated to watching Nani play again, but this time against his former club. As one would expect, he received a standing ovation from the United faithful.

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