A former Manchester United player has discussed his time at Old Trafford and reason for leaving the club
A Manchester United squad photo for the 1999/2000 season
A former Manchester United player has reflected on his time at the club(Image: John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Former Manchester United goalkeeper Massimo Taibi still has regrets over his Old Trafford exit. The Italian had arrived as an expensive signing but quickly left the club as Sir Alex Ferguson hunted for Peter Schmeichel's replacement.
Coming off the back of United's treble-winning campaign, Mark Bosnich was elevated to first choice but an early injury forced the club into the transfer market. Taibi was brought in for a substantial £4.5million fee following impressive displays for Venezia.
He was given the intimidating assignment of making his debut against Liverpool at Anfield, contributing to his new side's 3-2 victory. However, this proved to be a rare bright spot for Taibi, who subsequently made a notorious blunder against Southampton as a feeble Matt Le Tissier effort squirmed between his legs.
A 5-0 thrashing by Chelsea in October 1999 was United's first league loss since December 1998 and turned out to be the goalkeeper's fourth and final appearance for the club. Yet the shot-stopper seemingly ignored Ferguson's advice when leaving to join Reggina on loan in January.
"I was the one who made the mistake of leaving," Taibi told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I had a family problem in Italy and I was in a hurry to resolve it."
Describing the decision as a regret, he said: "Yes, I had a four-year contract. I was the best player on the pitch at Liverpool, then I made that mistake [against Chelsea] I was telling you about. Ferguson advised me to learn the language and stay to play my cards right. I was wrong to be impulsive."
During the first season of the post-Schmeichel era, Taibi was vying against Bosnich and Raimond van der Gouw for playing time. Despite shipping 11 goals across four outings, his abrupt transfer to Reggina meant Taibi was denied the chance to make amends, leaving the now 56-year-old to ponder what might have been.
United eventually retained the Premier League crown following the Italian's exit. However, Taibi maintains that he enjoyed a positive relationship with Ferguson, even though he did encounter the legendary 'hairdryer treatment' from the United manager.
Massimo Taibi
Massimo Taibi recalled his short time at Manchester United(Image: Valentina Giannettoni/LiveMedia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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"We had a good relationship, even though at half-time of that 5-0 Chelsea-Manchester United game, he gave me a dirty look that I still remember," Taibi recalled.
"I made a mistake and conceded a goal. At half-time, he turned the locker room upside down; when he got angry, he shook the walls. He took it out on everyone, even me. He looked at me badly and said, 'Massimo, that save...' But he would have kept me on [at the club]."
Taibi completed a permanent switch to Reggina for £2.5m in July 2000. After the club's drop from Serie A, he spent four seasons with Atalanta and also enjoyed stints at Torino and Ascoli before hanging up his boots in 2009.
Meanwhile, United pressed on with their hunt for a first-choice goalkeeper, securing World Cup winner Fabien Barthez the following season. The France international became Ferguson's number one for three years, claiming two league titles.
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