1999–2000 Manchester United F.C. 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. United won the Premier League title for the sixth time in eight seasons 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.
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 five 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

FA Charity Shield

DateOpponentsH / AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendance
1 August 1999ArsenalNYorke 37'70,185

UEFA Super Cup

DateOpponentsH / AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendance
27 August 1999LazioN14,461

FA Premier League

DateOpponentsH / AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendanceLeague
position
8 August 1999EvertonAYorke 7'39,1419th
11 August 1999Sheffield WednesdayHScholes 9', Yorke 35', Cole 54', Solskjær 84'54,9413rd
14 August 1999Leeds UnitedHYorke 77', 80'55,1871st
22 August 1999ArsenalAKeane 59', 88'38,1471st
25 August 1999Coventry CityAScholes 63', Yorke 75'22,0241st
30 August 1999Newcastle UnitedHCole 14', 46', 65', 71', Giggs 81'55,1901st
11 September 1999LiverpoolACarragher 4', 45', Cole 18'44,9291st
18 September 1999WimbledonHCruyff 74'55,1891st
25 September 1999SouthamptonHSheringham 34', Yorke 38', 64'55,2491st
3 October 1999ChelseaA34,9092nd
16 October 1999WatfordHYorke 40', Cole 42', 50', Irwin 45' 55,1882nd
23 October 1999Tottenham HotspurAGiggs 24'36,0723rd
30 October 1999Aston VillaHScholes 30', Cole 45', Keane 65'55,2112nd
6 November 1999Leicester CityHCole 30', 83'55,1911st
20 November 1999Derby CountyAButt 53', Cole 84'33,3701st
4 December 1999EvertonHIrwin 27', Solskjær 29', 43', 52', 58'55,1931st
18 December 1999West Ham UnitedAYorke 9', 63', Giggs 13', 20'26,0371st
26 December 1999Bradford CityHFortune 75', Yorke 79', Cole 88', Keane 89'55,1882nd
28 December 1999SunderlandAKeane 27', Butt 87'42,0262nd
24 January 2000ArsenalHSheringham 74'58,2932nd
29 January 2000MiddlesbroughHBeckham 87'61,2671st
2 February 2000Sheffield WednesdayASheringham 74'39,6401st
5 February 2000Coventry CityHCole 40', 55', Scholes 77'61,3801st
12 February 2000Newcastle UnitedA36,4701st
20 February 2000Leeds UnitedACole 52'40,1601st
26 February 2000WimbledonACruyff 30', Cole 80'26,1291st
4 March 2000LiverpoolHSolskjær 45'61,5921st
11 March 2000Derby CountyHYorke 13', 70', 72'61,6191st
18 March 2000Leicester CityABeckham 33', Yorke 84'22,1701st
25 March 2000Bradford CityAYorke 38', 40', Scholes 71', Beckham 79'18,2761st
1 April 2000West Ham UnitedHScholes 24', 51', 63', Irwin 27', Cole 45', Beckham 66', Solskjær 73'61,6111st
10 April 2000MiddlesbroughAGiggs 46', Cole 60', Scholes 74', Fortune 88'34,7751st
15 April 2000SunderlandHSolskjær 3', 51', Butt 65', Berg 70'61,6121st
22 April 2000SouthamptonABeckham 8', Benali 15', Solskjær 30'15,2451st
24 April 2000ChelseaHYorke 11', 69', Solskjær 40'61,5931st
29 April 2000WatfordAYorke 69', Giggs 71', Cruyff 87'20,2501st
6 May 2000Tottenham HotspurHSolskjær 5', Beckham 34', Sheringham 36'61,6291st
14 May 2000Aston VillaASheringham 65'39,2171st

League Cup

DateRoundOpponentsH / AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendance
13 October 1999Round 3Aston VillaA33,815

UEFA Champions League

Group stage

DateOpponentsH / AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendanceGroup
position
14 September 1999Croatia ZagrebH53,2503rd
22 September 1999Sturm GrazAKeane 16', Yorke 31', Cole 33'16,4802nd
29 September 1999MarseilleHCole 79', Scholes 83'53,9931st
19 October 1999MarseilleA56,7322nd
27 October 1999Croatia ZagrebABeckham 32', Keane 49'27,5001st
2 November 1999Sturm GrazHSolskjær 56', Keane 65'53,7451st

Second group stage

DateOpponentsH / AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendanceGroup
position
23 November 1999FiorentinaA36,0023rd
8 December 1999ValenciaHKeane 38', Solskjær 47', Scholes 70'54,6062nd
1 March 2000BordeauxHGiggs 41', Sheringham 84'59,7862nd
7 March 2000BordeauxAKeane 33', Solskjær 84'30,1301st
15 March 2000FiorentinaHCole 20', Keane 33', Yorke 70'59,9261st
21 March 2000ValenciaA40,4191st

Knockout phase

DateRoundOpponentsH / AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendance
4 April 2000Quarter-final
First leg		Real MadridA64,119
19 April 2000Quarter-final
Second leg		Real MadridHBeckham 64', Scholes 88' 59,178

Intercontinental Cup

DateOpponentsH / AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendance
30 November 1999PalmeirasNKeane 35'53,372

FIFA Club World Championship

Group stage

Squad statistics

Transfers

No players left Manchester United in the 1999 summer transfer window.
On 21 August, South African midfielder Quinton Fortune signed from Atlético Madrid for a fee of £1.5 million. Also arriving were Italian goalkeeper Massimo Taibi and French defender Mikaël Silvestre. All three players had slightly different careers at United and all stayed at United for a different number of seasons: Fortune spent seven years at Old Trafford, and his career was mixed; Taibi turned out to be a major flop and left after just one season; Silvestre left in 2008 and had a successful career with United.
United's only winter departure was Norwegian Erik Nevland, who returned to homeland club Viking Stavanger after two seasons. Richard Wellens departed on 23 March to Blackpool for a nominal fee. John Curtis joined Blackburn Rovers on 31 May for a fee of £1.5 million, while Michael Twiss joined Port Vale on 30 June on a free transfer.
No players joined United in the winter transfer window, but on 21 May, French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was acquired.

In

Out