Editing Alex Ferguson (section)

====World champions and further league titles ====
[[File:17.10.2010 Gira Europa (5093568820).jpg|thumb|left|Ferguson with [[Sebastian Piñera]] in 2010]]
Although the team had a slow start to the [[2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season|2008–09 season]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stevenson |first1=Jonathan |last2=Cheese |first2=Caroline |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8044543.stm |title=How the Premier League was won |publisher=BBC |date=16 May 2009 |access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref> United won the Premier League with a game to spare,<ref>{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Paul |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/may/16/premier-league-manchester-united-arsenal1 |title=United retain Premier League crown after goalless finale at Old Trafford |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=16 May 2009 |access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref> making Ferguson the first manager in the history of English football to win the top division three times consecutively, on two separate occasions. Ferguson had now won 11 league titles at Manchester United, and the 2008–09 season title success put them level with Liverpool as league champions on a record 18 occasions in total.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8053713.stm |title=Ferguson hungry for four in a row |publisher=BBC |date=16 May 2009 |access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref> They also won the League Cup on penalties after a goalless draw in the [[2009 Football League Cup Final|final]] against Tottenham, after becoming the first British club to win the [[FIFA Club World Cup]] in [[2008 FIFA Club World Cup Final|December 2008]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Wallace |first=Sam |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/united-march-on-as-spurs-fail-test-of-nerve-1635166.html |title=United march on as Spurs fail test of nerve |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=2 March 2009 |access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>

They contested the [[2009 UEFA Champions League Final|Champions League final]] against Barcelona on 27 May 2009 but lost 2–0, thus failed to defend the trophy.<ref>{{cite news |last=McCarra |first=Kevin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/may/27/manchester-united-barcelona-champions-league-final |title=Manchester United fold without a fight as Barcelona claim Champions League |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=27 May 2009 |access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Winter |first=Henry |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/5394857/Manchester-United-0-Barcelona-2-Champions-League-final-2009-match-report.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/5394857/Manchester-United-0-Barcelona-2-Champions-League-final-2009-match-report.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Manchester United 0 Barcelona 2 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=27 May 2009 |access-date=10 April 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In [[2009–10 Manchester United F.C. season|2009–10 season]], Ferguson added another League Cup to his honours list as United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 in the [[2010 Football League Cup Final|final]] on 28 February 2010, United's first ever successful knockout cup defence.<ref>{{cite news |last=McNulty |first=Phil |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/8531179.stm |title=Aston Villa 1–2 Man Utd |publisher=BBC |date=28 February 2010 |access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Rooney the hero as United overcome Villa |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=287675&cc=5739 |work=ESPNsoccernet |date=28 February 2010 |access-date=2 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100303090528/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=287675&cc=5739 |archive-date=3 March 2010 }}</ref> However, his dreams of a third European Cup were ended a few weeks later when United were edged out of the competition in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich on away goals. And their hopes of a record 19th league title were ended on the last day of the season when Chelsea beat them to the Premier League title by one point, crushing Wigan Athletic 8–0 and rendering United's 4–0 win over [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] meaningless.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8664533.stm |title=Man Utd 4-0 Stoke |work=BBC Sport |date=9 May 2010 |access-date=1 March 2019}}</ref>

He ended the [[2010–11 Manchester United F.C. season|following season]] by winning his 12th and Manchester United's 19th league title and thus overtaking Liverpool's record of 18. Manchester United faced Barcelona again on 28 May 2011 in the [[2011 UEFA Champions League Final|2011 Champions League final]], their third in four years, but United lost 3–1. Analyst Alan Hansen stated that he believed Ferguson was "the key component" in United's success that season, so key in fact that "[he] would have claimed the crown with any of the other top sides had he been in charge of them".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13894579.stm |title=Sir Alex Ferguson must rebuild Manchester United despite 19th title |last=Hansen |first=Alan |date=23 June 2011 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=27 June 2011}}</ref> With Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes all retiring in 2011,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13600395.stm |title=Man Utd midfielder Paul Scholes retires aged 36 |date=31 May 2011 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=27 June 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110715034057/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13600395.stm| archive-date= 15 July 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> Ferguson spent big by signing defender [[Phil Jones (footballer, born 1992)|Phil Jones]] from Blackburn and winger [[Ashley Young]] from Aston Villa for around £17&nbsp;million each,<ref>{{cite news |title=Manchester United secure deal for Blackburn's Phil Jones|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13754461.stm |work=BBC Sport |date=13 June 2011 |access-date=27 June 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110624033617/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13754461.stm| archive-date= 24 June 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ashley Young joins Man Utd from Aston Villa|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13882802.stm |work=BBC Sport |date=23 June 2011 |access-date=27 June 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110624111646/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13882802.stm|archive-date=24 June 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> and goalkeeper [[David de Gea]] from [[Atlético Madrid]] for around £19&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |title=Manchester United confirm signing of David de Gea |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13933241.stm |work=BBC Sport |date=29 June 2011 |access-date=18 July 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728210707/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13933241.stm |archive-date= 28 July 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[2011–12 Manchester United F.C. season|following season]] United managed to beat rivals Manchester City in the [[2011 FA Community Shield]] and eliminated them in the [[2011–12 FA Cup#Third round proper|FA Cup third round]], but ended the season below City, who won their first [[2011–12 Premier League|Premier League]] title on goal difference. This bitter and slim defeat prompted Ferguson to sign star-striker [[Robin van Persie]], who was the [[Premier League Golden Boot]] title-holder, from another arch-rival Arsenal on 17 August 2012.

The [[2012–13 Manchester United F.C. season|2012–13 season]] saw Ferguson guide United to become league champions for the [[2012–13 Premier League|20th]] time, claiming the title with a 3–0 home win over Aston Villa on 22 April 2013 with four matches to spare; Van Persie scored all the goals with a first half hat-trick en route to retain the Golden Boot.<ref>{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Bevan |title=Manchester United 3-0 Aston Villa |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22149292 |work=BBC Sport |date=22 April 2013 |access-date=15 February 2019 }}</ref> His final game in charge, his 1,500th in total, saw United play out a 5–5 draw with West Bromwich Albion. The result meant United finished the season 11 points ahead of runners-up Manchester City.<ref>{{cite news |first=Neil |last=Johnston |title=West Brom 5-5 Manchester United |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22499117 |work=BBC Sport |date=19 May 2013 |access-date=15 February 2019 }}</ref> Earlier in the season, on 2 September 2012, Ferguson managed his 1,000th league game with United playing against [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]. United won the game 3–2 thanks to another hat-trick from Van Persie. Two weeks later, he won his 100th game in the Champions League with a 1–0 win over [[Galatasaray S.K. (football)|Galatasaray]] at Old Trafford.<ref name=":15" />