Thirty-one years ago this month, Manchester United began their European campaign by beating Honved with the help of two Roy Keane goals and one from Eric Cantona.
Lee Sharpe set up Keane – like the winger, now a pundit – for his second goal in that game, then helped Sir Alex Ferguson’s team beat the Hungarian side again two weeks later, whipping in a free-kick for Steve Bruce to head in at the far post as part of a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.
The next step for United in Europe that season remains infamous. After salvaging a 3-3 draw in their second-round home leg against Galatasaray, their players arrived at the airport in Istanbul for the return game to be greeted by fans brandishing threatening banners in a first taste of the severely hostile atmosphere awaiting them.
Home supporters filled the Ali Sami Yen Stadium at 9am, where rockets were fired from the stands and riot police were part of a pitch invasion after the Turkish side drew 0-0 to go through via the now-defunct away goals rule.
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Galatasaray vs Man United
“We turned up to 1,000 fans with signs saying ‘welcome to hell, you’re all going to die’,” remembers Sharpe, understandably describing the destination as one that “stands out” among his 15 appearances in Europe for the club between 1990 and 1994.
“And then there was the bus getting bricked, armed police shielding us from bricks getting thrown after the game. A couple of them were giving digs to the players as they came off – I think Mark Hughes took an uppercut to the solar plexus off one of the policemen with a riot shield.
“Eric Cantona took one of them. It nearly kicked off in the tunnel with the riot police and the players. The coach was battered and smashed to pieces.
“It’s scary – you just want to get out of there. You just want to play the game, get out of there, get to the airport and get home.
“It’s really intimidating but you have to look after each other and back each other on the pitch, be united, and then when the result’s done, get out of there as quickly as you can. We had a few players who relished the challenge of that sort of possibility.”
Man United in Europe
The aggregate defeat was United’s only real setback between mid-September and March that season, arriving during a 22-game unbeaten league run that helped them take the title by eight points, as well as winning the FA Cup.
Ferguson would lead them to Champions League glory in 1998-99 and 2007-08 but the legendary manager had already won a European trophy at the club by then, Sharpe featuring heavily on the left flank on their way to beating Barcelona in the final of the 1990-91 Cup Winners’ Cup, which was merged into what is now the Europa League from 1999.
“It’s great to travel around and get the experience,” says Sharpe, speaking to 101GreatGoals on behalf of NewBettingSites.uk. “The Cup Winners’ Cup was an amazing run.
“We didn’t really have a lot of knowledge about a lot of the teams we played against. It’s a little bit of ‘turn up and see what happens, do what you can’.
“Sir Alex Ferguson used to have scouts go out two or three games before we played a team but when they found out they were playing us, they’d usually change their team for the couple of weeks building up to it, so you had no idea.
“The manager would be saying ‘he does this and he does this’, then you’d look at the teamsheet and they wouldn’t be on it. It was difficult and it was fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stuff, but we did all right.”
This is just delightful to watch from @SharpeyOfficial 🤤 #MUFC #GoalOfTheDay #GulfStayStrong pic.twitter.com/NWCVVAzZ8W
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 27, 2020
Man United vs Barcelona
One of Sharpe’s favourite goals is a backheel – set up by Keane – to secure a 2-2 draw at home to Barcelona during the 1993-94 Champions League, coming on a night when he had provided Hughes with the opener.
United gained revenge on Galatasaray with a 4-0 home win featuring goals by Keane and David Beckham at the end of an unsuccessful group stage. In between, they lost 4-0 in front of more than 114,000 fans at Camp Nou, where 1994 Ballon d’Or winner Hristo Stoichkov combined with a Brazil legend for two of the goals.
“I got injured so I didn’t go to Barcelona, but most of the lads suffered at the hands of someone called Romario,” says Sharpe. “He was just a little bit too sharp for us on the night.
“It’s different when you play in Europe: different atmosphere, different circumstances.”
Manchester United vs FC Twente
After their surprise FA Cup triumph last season, the current United squad return to the Europa League on Wednesday to host FC Twente, who manager Erik ten Hag played for as a centre-back while Sharpe was at Old Trafford.
Their away fixture list starts against Porto – the only side they have been drawn against who are ranked above them by Uefa – and proceeds to Istanbul again to face Fenerbahce, as well as trips to Czech club Viktoria Plzen and Steaua Bucharest.
Current Norwegian league leaders Bodo/Glimt are their second visitors on November 28, followed by an all-British match against Rangers on January 23.
“It’s a good test for Man United,” suggests Sharpe. “They turn up against the stronger teams; at times, against the lesser teams, they can start a little bit sloppy and slow, when it can be difficult to get back in the game.
“I’m quietly confident that United will have a decent run. Erik ten Hag has shown that he can be a really good cup manager. I just hope that people stay fit and he gets to choose who he wants to.”
