Sir Alex Ferguson tells aide to ban reporter for asking question about Ryan Giggs

The Manchester United manager wants to ban an Associated Press sports journalist for asking a question about the player who is involved in a high-profile privacy case.

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LONDON // Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, has told an aide to ban an Associated Press sports journalist after he asked a question about Ryan Giggs — the midfielder at the centre of a high-profile privacy case.

Ferguson was speaking at a press conference today ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona when the AP's Rob Harris asked him a question about Giggs, who was named in the British parliament yesterday as the footballer at the centre of a legal gagging order.

Harris asked about the importance of 37-year-old Giggs to the team. "The most experienced Champions League player in the team is obviously Ryan Giggs. How important is he for the team on Saturday?" Harris said.

"All of the players are important, every one of them," Ferguson replied curtly.

Broadcaster Sky News later broadcast Ferguson's whispered comments to a club media officer.

He was heard saying, "the guy that asked the question about Giggsy ... at the press conference".

It was unclear which event on Friday Ferguson was referring to, although he is due to hold a news conference on the eve of Saturday's game.

Ferguson is famous for having a prickly relationship with the British media. He has refused to speak to the BBC for several years after a programme was broadcast about his son's business activities and several individual journalists have been banned from attending Manchester United events.

Lou Ferrara, AP's Managing Editor for Sport, defended Harris.

"Rob was doing his job as a journalist by asking a question," Ferrara said. "Our expectation is that he'll ask more questions, and be afforded the ability to do so, as he covers the world's most popular sport."

Giggs was absent from the club's open training session today, one of several United players who did not train in front of the media ahead of the final at London's Wembley Stadium.

Giggs, who is married with two children, was identified by MP John Hemming during a House of Commons debate yesterday as the player involved in a high-profile privacy case.

A judge granted an injunction preventing media from publishing allegations that the player had an affair with reality television contestant Imogen Thomas, but Giggs' name had been spread over the internet via Twitter and other social networking sites.

After the event at United's Carrington training ground, Mr Harris tweeted: "Left training ground. what a day!!"