Massimo Taibbi had a brief tenure Manchester United Between 1999 and 2000. The Italian never really made an impact, but still regrets his departure.
Taibi joins Red Devils from Venezia £4.5 million, which was a significant amount at that time. Soon after his arrival he put in a famous performance against Liverpool but things were disappointing in other games.
He was nicknamed ‘The Blind Venetian’ after the English press criticized his inability to save shots. Only six months after moving to Manchester United, he joined Reggina on loan before performing very well at Atalanta.
Now, the former goalkeeper has opened up about his time at Old Trafford.
good relations with ferguson
in an interview with gazzetta dello sportTaibi revealed how the move was taken.
He also revealed his good relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson, despite his occasional hair dryer treatment.
“It was a spectacle. It was 1999, I arrived in Manchester as a semi-unknown. They wanted to sign Toldo first, then when I was playing for Venezia they bought me. And Sir Alex even came to pick me up at the airport and introduced me to the whole management.
“It was 8 o’clock at night, no idea about it. We had a good relationship, although at half-time of that 5-0 Chelsea-Manchester United game he gave me a dirty look which I still remember.”
Giving more details about the 5–0 defeat to Chelsea, Taibi said that Ferguson was angry at half-time.
“I made a mistake and conceded a goal. At halftime, 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’s a save…’ But he would keep me in check.”
The former goalkeeper clarified that he should not have left the club permanently. He had to attend to a family emergency but signed a four-year deal with Manchester United.
“I was the one who made the mistake of leaving. I had a family problem in Italy and I was in a hurry to resolve it.”
Describing his exit as his biggest regret, he said: “Yes, I had a four-year contract. I was the best player on the pitch at Liverpool, then I made the mistake I was telling you about.
“Ferguson advised me to learn the language and play my cards right. I was wrong to be impulsive.”
Our opinion: Departure decision changed Taibi’s career
At that time, Manchester United was slowly moving towards a change in the goalkeeping department. Taibi’s decision to leave was his own and it was not that he was forced out.
Had he managed to weather the storm, he could have become the club’s first-choice in the long term. Admittedly, his life in England had a difficult start, but as he himself says – there was a lot of promise there.
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