David de Gea and Nemanja Matic, former Manchester United teammates, were reunited on the pitch this weekend, and the Spanish goalkeeper's social media post revealed his enduring affection for the Red Devils. The two players faced off in Serie A on Sunday as Fiorentina, captained by De Gea, played out a goalless draw with Sassuolo, where Matic now wears the armband.
A Reunion in Italy
The match, which ended 0-0, saw Fiorentina remain in 15th place in the Serie A standings, while Sassuolo sit in 10th. After the final whistle, De Gea shared a photo of himself alongside Matic on Instagram, captioning it: "Old friends re-UNITED." He also added a cartoon image of two figures embracing in the rain, a clear nod to their shared history at Old Trafford.
Shared History at Manchester United
De Gea spent 13 years at Manchester United after joining from Atletico Madrid in 2011. Matic arrived six years later from Chelsea and made 189 appearances for the club during his five-year stay. The Serbian midfielder left United in 2022 to join Roma on a free transfer, before moving to Rennes, then Lyon, and finally Sassuolo in 2025. In his debut season with Sassuolo, the 37-year-old has made 30 Serie A appearances and scored once.
De Gea remained at United until 2023, leaving as a free agent. After more than a year without a club, he signed for Fiorentina in the summer of 2025 and has since become a key figure, playing every minute of every league match this season. He is widely regarded as a Manchester United legend, despite some difficult periods during his tenure.
Matic's Support for De Gea
Back in 2019, Matic was among those who publicly defended De Gea after a high-profile mistake. Speaking to Sky Sports, Matic said: "Players make mistakes in every game and when a goalkeeper makes a mistake everyone sees that. When you are one of the best goalkeepers in the world, people talk so much about his mistakes. When a goalkeeper at a 'smaller' club makes a mistake, it's spoken about for one or two days, but one of De Gea's mistakes is spoken about for seven days."
Matic added: "I'm very confident that this mistake won't affect his career. He doesn't read newspapers. He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and will be for years to come. I am very happy to have him in the team. He is a great guy, a great goalkeeper, and is probably the best player at United over the last four or five years. He is very focused on his job and is a good character. It's good to have people like him in the dressing room."
The reunion in Serie A served as a reminder of the bond the two players share, with De Gea's Instagram post making it clear that Manchester United still holds a special place in his heart.
