another loan deal was out of the question, rejecting a bid from Napoli. In July 2000, Manchester United agreed to allow Taibi to rejoin Reggina for a fee of £2.5 million. On 1 April 2001, Taibi scored a goal with a header off a corner kick in the 87th minute against Udinese to equalise the score final score to a 1–1 draw at home. With the goal, Taibi was the second goalkeeper to score from open play in Serie A history after Michelangelo Rampulla in 1992. After the 2000–01 season finished in relegation for Reggina, he was shifted to Atalanta as a replacement of Ivan Pelizzoli. In the summer of 2005, he went on loan to Torino, serving as first-choice goalkeeper; the move became permanent in 2006, with Taibi however becoming the backup goalkeeper behind Christian Abbiati. He made his seasonal debut on 13 January 2007. In the 2007–08 season, he joined Ascoli, as Torino acquired the services of Matteo Sereni. Taibi played 47 matches, before he announced his retirement from football in 2009. Style of play A centre-forward in his youth, whose role model was Roberto Boninsegna, Taibi later switched to the position of goalkeeper. He was known in particular for his penalty-saving abilities as a shot-stopper. Taibi played a total of 292 Serie A games between 1993 and 2007; during his career he stopped 12 spot kicks in the Italian top flight, the joint-ninth-most penalties saved in Serie A history, alongside Emiliano Viviano, Luigi Turci and Giuseppe Taglialatela. Honours Piacenza Serie B: 1994–95 Manchester United Intercontinental Cup: 1999 References External links Video of Taibi's goal vs Udinese 1970 births Living people Italian footballers Footballers from Palermo Association football goalkeepers A.C. Milan players Como 1907 players Piacenza Calcio 1919 players Venezia F.C. players Manchester United F.C. players Reggina 1914 players Atalanta B.C. players Torino F.C. players Ascoli Calcio 1898 F.C. players Premier League players Serie A players Serie B players Serie C players Italian expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in England Italian expatriate sportspeople in England