- A former Man United participant has gone viral after current photos of him emerged
- The 53-year-old – a sporting director working in Italy – now seems unrecognisable
- Trent and Bellingham can play collectively however cannot get in one another’s method – IAKO
An image of a former Manchester United participant has gone viral as he seems unrecognisable from his days spent at Old Trafford.
The participant who joined United in the summertime after their Treble success in 1999 for £4.5m, most not too long ago labored as a sporting director for Italian aspect Reggina.
He joined to fill the void left by Peter Schmeichel however returned to Italy the next yr having solely performed 4 video games for the group.
His title turned synonymous with the notorious howler for Man United in opposition to Southampton
The thriller United man is, in fact, former goalkeeper Massimo Taibi.
The ex-Manchester United goalkeeper seems unrecognisable – 23 years since he left the membership
The Italian flopped throughout his temporary time underneath legendary supervisor Sir Alex Ferguson
The thriller man is Massimo Taibi who made simply 4 appearances for the Red Devils
Taibi’s floppy brown hair is now shaved brief and gray whereas his 6ft 3in body has broadened since his enjoying days.
The Italian began properly sufficient at Old Trafford after his transfer from Venezia, selecting up Man of the Match for his efficiency in a 3-2 win over Liverpool.
A 1-1 draw with Wimbledon adopted however it was his notorious error in a 3-3 draw with Southampton which in the end led to his swift exit from the membership.
A tame effort from Matt Le Tissier from outdoors the field went straight on the Italian who dropped to the bottom to scoop the ball in each arms, just for it to roll beneath his physique and trickle over the road.
As reported in 2020, Taibi recalling the second stated: ‘It was simply a kind of issues which occur to goalkeepers. I’ve seen lots in England and Italy, imagine me. Going by means of the legs, it seems ridiculous, however it occurs typically. It’s not the primary, it wasn’t the final.
‘I had the same incident like that at Torino. It occurs. It’s an accident, not an error. An error is to return out for the ball and miss it however an innocuous shot which matches by means of your legs is only a whole accident.
‘Unfortunately, the week after, we went to Chelsea and misplaced 5-0 and as I couldn’t play within the Champions League having already been registered with Milan, Ferguson determined, rightly, to take a seat me out for slightly, to offer me time to study the language.’
One English newspaper cruelly labelled him as ‘The Blind Venetian’ and he left through the January switch window for Reggina for £2.5m.
Taibi (prime row second from proper) was most synonymous for a mistake he made in opposition to Southampton
Despite the error, he had a 22-year profession profession in soccer beginning in 1987 at Licata, enjoying for the likes of AC Milan, Como, Atalanta and Torino, earlier than retiring in 2009 after making two years at Ascoli.
He not too long ago labored as sporting director again with Italian aspect Reggina.
In the 2022-23 season underneath the steerage of supervisor Filippo Inzaghi, they completed in a play-off place regardless of struggling a 5 level deduction for failing to pay taxes and participant salaries on time.
But in July, they had been excluded from Serie B for monetary irregularities and unpaid money owed, as per Football Italia.
The membership had been enrolled in Serie D for the 2023-24 season, going underneath the brand new title of Reggio Calabria.
Taibi left his function as sporting director and was changed by Maurizio Pellegrino.