Manchester United’s legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel revealed that he had considered leaving the club years before their historic Treble-winning season.
The Danish shot-stopper was a towering figure for the Red Devils. From saving a crucial penalty from Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final replay to his overall leadership, Schmeichel is regarded as one of the most significant players in the club’s history.
However, prior to that unforgettable 1998/99 season, it seemed as though a Champions League curse was hanging over United. Despite being a serial winner, the coveted European trophy always eluded Sir Alex Ferguson.
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With most of Ferguson’s squad reaching their prime in the 1996/97 season, many believed United’s best chance of European glory had passed when Borussia Dortmund defeated them 2-0 on aggregate in the competition’s semi-final. As that season ended, captain and star player Eric Cantona left Old Trafford and retired from football.
At certain points, it appeared as though Schmeichel would be following Cantona out of the exit door. An unnamed European powerhouse was reportedly interested in signing Schmeichel shortly after Cantona’s departure, reports the Mirror.
Reflecting on that pivotal season, the legendary Dane admitted he would have left if not for Ferguson. “I have to be honest to say, at some point, I was starting to doubt that,” Schmeichel confessed in the ’99’ documentary on Prime Video when discussing his belief in Manchester United‘s chances of winning the Champions League. “When you play for Manchester United, we claim to be the biggest club in the world.”
The iconic Danish goalkeeper continued: “Eric [Cantona] was leaving. There was another big club, who were very, very interested in me. I went to see the manager.”
Schmeichel recounted the pivotal conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson. “I said I’d been very, very tempted and I explained: ‘The reason that I didn’t dismiss it was, I don’t feel that we can win in Europe’. The manager said: ‘You can’t leave now, you can’t leave now. We will win. We will win’.”
Remaining loyal to the Reds, Schmeichel stayed on for two more seasons, culminating in a triumphant farewell that saw him lift the Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the coveted Champions League trophy.
Reds supporters vividly remember Schmeichel’s acrobatic celebrations – flips and handstands on the Nou Camp pitch – following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dramatic late winner in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
After his storied stint at United, Schmeichel took his talents to Sporting for two seasons, then returned to the Premier League with Aston Villa. He would eventually make a Manchester comeback, but this time, to the dismay of many United fans, he signed for rivals Manchester City.
99 is available exclusively on Prime Video, and all three parts have now dropped globally.
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