Alex Ferguson Allegedly Opposed David Beckham Marrying Victoria

David and Victoria Beckham have been a Hollywood “it” couple since the ’90s. With four children and an entire empire in their hands, it’s hard to imagine Posh and Becks apart. However, there were quite a few people unsure about the relationship between the soccer star and the Spice Girl — including David’s former team manager.

In his Netflix documentary, “Beckham,” David shared that his former Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson, wasn’t keen on his relationship with Victoria when they first met. In fact, David felt that Ferguson wasn’t supportive of anything outside of David playing soccer, including brand deals and other opportunities that came his way. “I wanted to have a career after football, and that ate away at the manager,” he shared (via Business Insider). He just wanted me to be the best footballer I could be, and be married to a local girl that wasn’t a superstar,” he added.

Of course, with his high-profile relationship with Victoria, David became much more of a star in the world’s eyes. While Ferguson was all for Manchester players settling down, he couldn’t help but sense that David wasn’t the same after he started his relationship with Victoria.

David Beckham felt that he had remained the same over the years even with the media attention surrounding his relationship with Victoria Beckham. However, Alex Ferguson felt the exact opposite.

“He changed, there is no doubt about that,” the former team manager shared in David’s Netflix documentary (via Business Insider). “Media attention he was getting and becoming a celebrity was different from what I wanted. Getting David to keep his feet on the ground became more difficult.” Ferguson also wrote in his 2013 updated autobiography that he felt that Beckham was making decisions that were holding him back from growing as a player, including the time spent with Victoria. Unfortunately, as David’s relationship with Victoria grew, his relationship with Ferguson soured.

Tensions between the two gradually increased until David finally left the team in 2003. Years later, David admitted that he hadn’t always handled things well during his time with Manchester United. “There were certain decisions I made back then that were wrong and I can see why the manager got so frustrated,” he said in a 2017 BBC interview (via Goal.com).

People being against David and Victoria Beckham is something that has become the norm for the couple. There was no bigger test than the 2004 scandal where it was rumored that David had cheated on Victoria with his former personal assistant Rebecca Loos. While David denied the allegations, the scandal rocked the couple’s marriage. “It felt like the world was against us. And here’s the thing: we were against each other if I’m being completely honest,” Victoria admitted in the Netflix documentary “Beckham” (via Us Weekly). David added, “We’re fighters. We needed to fight for each other; we needed to fight for our family. And what we had was worth fighting for.”

Nonetheless, good old Posh and Becks have managed to come through the fire stronger than ever. The couple has previously shared secrets to their long marriage. Important things like humor, loyalty, compromise, and friendship ultimately have kept them together all this time. And spending time with each other regularly matters too. In 2017, Victoria wrote a letter to her younger self for Vogue, emphasizing the importance of quality time in the relationship. “Always make time for each other,” she wrote. “Because if you don’t, everything will revolve around the children and I’m not sure how sexy that is!”