Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson has been presented with a sports ethics award by an Italian university.

Ferguson signed jerseys (photo) and answered questions from a crowd of several hundred students yesterday when he was presented with the Tor Vergata Ethics in Sport award.

Italian players’ association president Damiano Tommasi, a former midfielder with Roma and former winner of the award, joined university officials for the presentation.

Other former winners of the award include UEFA president Michel Platini, former Roma president Franco Sensi, cross country skier Stefania Belmondo and coach Zdenek Zeman.