Manchester United have announced the departure of head coach Rúben Amorim. The decision was made by the club’s leadership following a breakdown in relationships behind the scenes.
Amorim’s final match was Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United. The result leaves Manchester United in sixth place in the Premier League after 20 games. Former midfielder and current Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher will take temporary charge, starting with Wednesday’s match at Burnley. The club is expected to wait until the summer to appoint a permanent manager.
A statement from the club said the choice was made “reluctantly” but was the “right time to make a change” to try and achieve the best possible league finish. The club thanked Amorim for his work and wished him well.
The problems became public after the Leeds game. In a press conference, Amorim stressed he saw himself as the club’s “manager,” not just a “coach,” hinting at tensions with the directors above him. He stated he would not quit and would only leave if the club decided to sack him.
His comments revealed ongoing disagreements about the team’s style of play and transfer activity. Amorim strongly preferred to use a 3-4-3 formation. However, figures like Director of Football Jason Wilcox had discussed other tactics with him. While Amorim did switch to a different setup for a win against Newcastle in December, he often returned to his preferred three-at-the-back system, including for the Leeds draw.
Amorim was also frustrated with the club’s January transfer window, after a failed attempt to sign forward Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.
Club chiefs, including CEO Omar Berrada and Wilcox, decided to act after his public comments. They made the choice alongside the Glazer family, who own the majority of the club. Because there was no discount clause in his contract, United will have to pay Amorim the full amount remaining on his deal, which was due to run until 2027.
Amorim joined United in November 2024, leaving Portuguese club Sporting CP after winning two league titles there. United paid around €11 million to hire him as the replacement for Erik ten Hag.
His time at Old Trafford was difficult. Last season, United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th. They also did not win any trophies and failed to qualify for European football.
The club backed him with over £200 million in new signings last summer, including Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matéus Cunha. Despite this, the team made a poor start this season and suffered an embarrassing loss to fourth-tier Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup in August. After that game, Amorim had questioned his own future and made critical comments about his players.
During his 14-month Premier League tenure, Amorim used 25 different starting partnerships in central defense, far more than any other team. He leaves with the worst win rate (32%), the worst goals conceded per game average (1.53), and the lowest clean sheet percentage (15%) of any permanent Manchester United manager in the competition.
This exit raises major questions for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group, who run the club’s football operations. Ratcliffe had publicly said Amorim deserved three years in the job less than three months ago. Amorim’s appointment was initially pushed by Berrada, while former sporting director Dan Ashworth had warned about the difficulty of changing the team’s formation.
Ratcliffe had previously said the club’s leadership should decide the style of play, not the coach. However, they appointed a manager known for one specific system, spent heavily on players for him, and have now changed course after just over a year.
Amorim’s departure is the latest managerial change since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. The club has now spent over £50 million in total on paying off managers since that time.