Roy Keane admits Man Utd should be 'pretty ashamed' of major decision

Roy Keane admits that Manchester United should be "pretty ashamed" of their decision to pull out of the FA Cup in 2000 when they were defending champions - instead choosing to play in the Club World Cup.

The Red Devils had won the domestic cup as part of their famed treble in 1999, but became the first team ever not to even attempt to defend their crown the following year. They instead chose to to play in the inaugural World Team Championship, now known as the Club World Cup.

United accepted the Football Association’s offer to miss the competition. Chelsea went on to win the competition, beating Aston Villa in the final at Wembley.

The decision resulted in widespread criticism from supporters and the media, who accused the Manchester outfit of devaluing the oldest football competition in the world. Former chairman Martin Edwards said at the time that they had "no alternative" and made the decision "in the national interest".

Sir Alex Ferguson's side would only win one of their three games in the eight-team Club World Championship in Brazil - finishing third in Group B behind Mexican side Necaxa and eventual runners-up Vasco da Gama.

READ MORE: Antony names Man Utd star who wanted him to stay after being banished by Ruben Amorim

READ MORE: Barcelona make shock contract decision impacting Marcus Rashford's Man Utd exit

Keane's comments began with Gary Neville saying on : "I think one thing that was definitely better back in the day was the FA Cup. That was magic when we were playing."

The Irishman, who would win the FA Cup four times during his career, then said: "I think the magic has come back a bit the last few years now. When you think of it when we were at United, we should be pretty ashamed because we pulled out of the FA Cup. I know it wasn’t down to us but we accepted it as players. How mad was that, your team pulling out of the FA Cup."

United claimed it was an opportunity "to compete for the ultimate honour of being the very first world club champions" - even if they did fail to bring the trophy home. It didn't stop their ultimate goal of retaining their Premier League title, which they did by 18 points.

Ferguson claimed at the time: "We can’t go for them all. We can’t play in the FA Cup and in Brazil. That would be impossible. We’re in a no-win situation here. The criticism we would have received if we hadn’t gone [to Brazil] would have been unthinkable – and that’s a Scotsman speaking."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.