Roy Keane insists everyone at Man Utd should feel “pretty ashamed” about pulling out of the FA Cup to compete in the Club World Cup in 2000.
The Red Devils won the Treble in the previous season with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side beating Bayern Munich in that famous Champions League final, to add that prize to the Premier League and FA Cup trophies they had already won.
However, they accepted the Football Association’s invitation to withdraw from the FA Cup in 2000 in order to compete in the inaugural World Team Championship, which went on to be called the Club World Cup.
Chelsea beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup final that year as Man Utd failed to defend their title with the FA believing the Red Devils’ participation at the Club World Cup could help England’s bid for the 2006 World Cup, which was awarded to Germany.
Man Utd could not make it out the group stage with Brazilian giants Vasco da Gama and Mexican outfit Necaxa qualifying ahead of them as they won just one match.
Keane, who was captain of Man Utd during the controversial move under Ferguson, insists that Man Utd “should be pretty ashamed” of their decision.
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Neville said on the Stick to Football podcast: “I think one thing that was definitely better back in the day was the FA Cup. That was magic when we were playing.”
Before Keane said: “I think the magic has come back a bit the last few years now.
“When you think of it when we were at United, we should be pretty ashamed because we pulled out of the FA Cup.
“I know it wasn’t down to us but we accepted it as players. How mad was that, your team pulling out of the FA Cup.”
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Former Man Utd chairman Martin Edwards said in June 1999: “We realise that many of our supporters will be as disappointed as we are with our decision not to compete in the FA Cup.
“Manchester United see this as an opportunity to compete for the ultimate honour of being the very first world club champions.”
Before legendary manager Ferguson added: “We can’t go for them all. We can’t play in the FA Cup and in Brazil. That would be impossible.
“We’re in a no-win situation here. The criticism we would have received if we hadn’t gone [to Brazil] would have been unthinkable – and that’s a Scotsman speaking.”
Speaking years later, Ferguson admitted he regretted the decision, he told Inside United: “It turned out to be a disaster for us. We did it to help England’s World Cup bid. That was the political situation.
“I regretted it because we got nothing but stick and terrible criticism for not being in the FA Cup when really, it wasn’t our fault.
“The FA and the government felt that playing in this tournament would help England’s bid to host the 2006 World Cup. There was a lot of undue criticism – but it was a great two-week break.”