Sir Alex Ferguson officially announces his retirement.

Shortly after British newspapers reported that manager Alex Ferguson would officially retire, Manchester United officially confirmed the news.

Accordingly, Sir Alex will officially retire after the match against West Brom on May 19th. The Scottish manager will continue to contribute to the "Red Devils" in the role of Director and ambassador of the club.

During his more than 26 years with MU, Sir Alex helped the Old Trafford team win 38 major and minor titles. He is often hailed as one of the greatest managers of all time.

In a statement posted on MU's official website, the 71-year-old manager said: "I have thought a lot about the decision to retire. It has been a really difficult decision, but I think this is the right time."

"The most important thing for me was to help Manchester United build a strong squad, and I believe I've achieved that. We've won this tournament, and the age of our key players has been getting younger. This is a good sign for future seasons. I believe Manchester United has a bright future."

"We have one of the leading youth training facilities in Europe. I am very happy to be taking on two roles in the future: Director and ambassador of the club. I hope to be able to contribute even more to the club in the future."

Although the official reason for the decision was not announced, it is highly likely that Sir Alex's declining health in recent times prevented him from continuing to manage MU. It's worth remembering that last week, a representative from Manchester United confirmed that Sir Alex would undergo hip surgery in August after the summer tour.

The surgery is scheduled to take place only after Sir Alex and Manchester United finish their 2013 summer tour (July 13-29). The "Red Devils" are scheduled to tour four countries: Thailand, Australia, Japan, and Hong Kong. Immediately upon returning to England on July 30, Sir Alex will undergo hip surgery.

According to (Vietnam+) - DT