Manchester United 1999–2000 football season
The 1999–2000 season was Manchester United's eighth season in the Premier League, and their 25th consecutive 💴 season in the top division of English football.[1] United won the Premier League title for the sixth time in eight 💴 seasons (with a record 18-point margin and 97 goals scored) as well as becoming the first English club to win 💴 the Intercontinental Cup when they defeated Palmeiras in Tokyo. However, they surrendered their Champions League title with a 3–2 defeat 💴 by eventual champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. The club controversially did not defend their FA Cup crown, upon request 💴 by The Football Association, to compete in the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil instead.[2]
Mark Bosnich, previously at United 💴 as a reserve goalkeeper from 1989 to 1991, returned to the club as Peter Schmeichel's successor, but failed to live 💴 up to expectations and in September, the club swooped for Italian Massimo Taibi to provide competition for him. However, Taibi 💴 suffered some high-profile mistakes and returned to his homeland at the end of the season after just four games for 💴 the club. As the season wore on, long-time reserve goalkeeper Raimond van der Gouw was increasingly called on as the 💴 starting goalkeeper, and proved a fairly reliable performer, but at 37 years old as of the end of the season, 💴 it was clear that he would not be a long-term solution. United then solved the goalkeeping crisis by paying AS 💴 Monaco £7.8 million for Fabien Barthez. Also new to the squad for 1999–2000 were French defender Mikaël Silvestre and South 💴 African winger Quinton Fortune. Jesper Blomqvist and Wes Brown missed the entire season due to injury, while similar misfortune restricted 💴 defenders David May and Ronny Johnsen to three first-team appearances between them. Jordi Cruyff left the club on a free 💴 transfer to Deportivo Alavés at the end of the season, seeing out his four-year contract at a club where he 💴 had failed to claim a regular first-team place.
Pre-season and friendlies [ edit ]
FA Charity Shield [ edit ]