They also reached the European Cup semi-finals, bowing out to eventual winners Borussia Dortmund of Germany, after losing both legs 1–0. Earlier in the competition, they had lost at home in Europe for the first time, with a 1–0 defeat to Fenerbahçe of Turkey in the group stage. Their defence of the FA Cup ended in the Fourth Round replay with a 1–0 defeat to Wimbledon, while their bid for success in the League Cup was short-lived as they bowed out to eventual winners Leicester City in the Fourth Round.
New signing Ole Gunnar Solskjær was one of the biggest breakthrough stars in the 1996–97 Premier League season, with 19 goals in all competitions, making him the club's top goalscorer. Twenty-two-year-old midfielder David Beckham clinched the PFA Young Player of the Year award in the same season he won his first England cap. Solskjær's fellow Norwegian, Ronny Johnsen, proved himself as a fine successor to Steve Bruce in central defence, but £3.5 million Czech winger Karel Poborský failed to win a regular first team place and was one of the Premier League's biggest disappointments that season. Jordi Cruyff, son of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, was similarly disappointing, failing to win a regular first team place despite being able to play in midfield, attack or on the left wing.
Just before the start of the season, winger Lee Sharpe left the club after eight years to sign for Leeds United in a £4.5 million deal. Earlier in the summer, captain Steve Bruce had departed to Birmingham City on a free transfer after almost a decade at Old Trafford, while Paul Parker left on a free transfer after his final two seasons at the club had been plagued by injury and the loss of his place in the team to Gary Neville.
The season ended with a major shock as Eric Cantona announced his retirement from playing, prompting manager Alex Ferguson to search for a new striker. The search ended with the £3.5 million capture of Tottenham Hotspur and England 31-year-old Teddy Sheringham.
United beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 to reach the Fourth Round,[2] where they faced Wimbledon, who they had beaten easily 3–0 on the first day of the season; the game ended 1–1.[3] The replay was played at Wimbledon's Selhurst Park, with the game ending 1–0 to Wimbledon, knocking United out of the competition at a very early stage.[4] In between these two FA Cup games, United and Wimbledon faced each other again in the league, with United coming out on top at home, with a 2–1 win, making it all the more shocking that Wimbledon managed to defeat them five days later in the cup.
As in the previous two seasons, United rested many of their first-team players in the League Cup, instead using the competition to provide first team experience to the club's younger players and reserves. This proved to be a bad move, as the Red Devils just managed to squeeze past Swindon Town to get into the Fourth Round,[5] but they were then defeated by Leicester City 2–0.
In the group stage, United were drawn together with defending champions Juventus of Italy, Turkish champions Fenerbahçe and Austrian champions Rapid Wien.
United were drawn against Portuguese champions Porto in the quarter-finals, and sealed their place in the semi-finals with a 4–0 win in the first leg, followed by a goalless second leg. They were then drawn against the eventual winners, German champions Borussia Dortmund, who beat them 1–0 in each leg, eliminated the Red Devils from the competition 2–0 on aggregate.
^"Changed United go through". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. 24 October 1996. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2012.