Taibi: Roma will have a chance against Manchester United

Manchester United, Atalanta, Torino. Not just Roma's fixture list – the Giallorossi face Toro and Gian Piero Gasperini's side in Serie A before travelling to Old Trafford for the Europa League semi-final first leg on 29 April – but some of the clubs in Massimo Taibi's career.

Taibi remains one of the few goalkeepers to have scored in Serie A – a headed equaliser for Reggina against Udinese on 1 April 2001 – and now works as Reggina's sporting director under a Rome-born (and Roma-bred) president, Luca Gallo.

Indeed, the Serie B side boast quite a Giallorossi contingent, starting with the coach: Marco Baroni, a former defender who plied his trade in the capital in 1986-87. The Calabrians also have former Roma academy product Luca Chierico, as well as French duo Ricardo Faty and Jeremy Menez, who were both members of the 2009-10 team that very nearly won the Scudetto with Claudio Ranieri at the helm.

Taibi helped Reggina gain promotion from Serie C in 2019-20, while this season they find themselves mid-table in Serie B pushing for a play-off spot.

“I brought Menez back to Italy because I could see the hunger was still there,” Taibi explains. “He started off superbly for us, before struggling with a few injury problems.”

Taking a step back, Torino was the second-last stop in the goalkeeper's 20-year career.

“I joined Torino at the age of 35, in 2005, [Urbano] Cairo's first as president," Taibi says.

"It was a good move for me: we had a great run that year and won promotion back to Serie A, beating Mantova in the play-off. I stayed on for another season as back-up to [Christian] Abbiati. It was a wonderful experience. Torino is a special club: when you're there you can sense the club's glorious past – something you can only understand from within.”

You played for another club with a glorious history: Manchester United.

“I went to Manchester when I was younger, in 1999. It was a great opportunity for me and my career, though I'd played for AC Milan before then. It was pretty unusual back then for a goalkeeper to go to the Premier League and play for a prestigious club that had won the Champions League the season before. Sadly, it didn't last long or go very well.”

Why didn't it work out?

“I'll be honest: mentally I wasn't in a good place at the time and that came out in the few matches I got to play.”

What was it exactly, if you can tell us?

“A very serious personal matter relating to my former wife. I decided it would be better to come straight back to Italy so I joined Reggina in the January transfer window, helping them to stay up in the second half of the season. That was when my bond with Reggio Calabria began and it continues today.”

How do you see the Europa League semi-final between Manchester United and Roma panning out?

“Reaching the semis is already a fantastic achievement for Roma. Man United are perhaps a notch above them on paper, but anything can happen in a two-legged knockout tie. When you get to this stage of the competition, with home and away legs, it's a bit different.

"And the fact there are no fans – especially at Old Trafford – could give Roma a slight advantage. I think they have a good chance, although they'll obviously be up against a great team. In any case, There's plenty to be positive about. And can I add something?”

Go ahead.

“I don't know him personally but I think [Paulo] Fonseca is a fantastic coach. He's doing a great job. It's never easy in Rome but he's put together a good team, combining youth and experience. They're not quite strong enough to challenge for the title but they've done really well in the Europa League and they're in with a chance of winning a major trophy. They deserve credit for that.”