Manchester United goalkeeper, Andre Onana, has reignited a bitter war of words with former Red Devils midfielder Nemanja Matic, following a scathing remark in which the Serb labelled him “one of the worst Man Utd goalkeepers in history.”
The spat began ahead of United’s Europa League clash with Lyon, where Matic, now playing for the French side, took issue with Onana’s confidence in United’s superiority.
In a pre-match interview, Onana asserted: “I think we are better than them. We just have to go there and show who we are… If we go with the right mentality, we will win.” But his remarks didn’t sit well with Matic, who responded with a blistering attack.
“To say that, you need to have cover,” Matic said. “If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United history, you need to take care what you are talking [about]. If it were David de Gea or Peter Schmeichel saying that, I’d listen. But Onana?”
The Serbian international, who played for United from 2017 to 2022, claimed Onana lacks the pedigree to make such bold statements, pointing to the Cameroonian’s inconsistent performances since joining the club.
But Onana wasn’t silent. In a pointed post on X, formerly Twitter, the United shot-stopper fired back: “At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same.”
Indeed, Onana, who joined Manchester United from Inter Milan, has already added an FA Cup and League Cup to his honours at Old Trafford — a feat Matic never achieved during his time at the club.
Onana also insisted he meant no disrespect: “We know tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent. We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud.”
Matic, in a separate interview with The Athletic, criticised United’s culture, suggesting the club has become more commercial than competitive. “At Chelsea, it was all about results. At United, step by step, I realised trophies weren’t the priority. It was more commercial-minded.”
As tensions rise ahead of the high-stakes Europa League fixture, all eyes will be on the pitch — and on whether Onana can deliver a performance to match his words.
