Ruben Amorim has been sacked by Manchester United. The 40-year-old left his position just 14 months into a contract that had been due to keep him at the club until the summer of 2027.
However, an extraordinary press conference after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds brought bubbling discontent behind the scenes into the open, followed by the swift departure of a coach who had led Manchester United to sixth in the Premier League.
“Ruben Amorim has departed his role as head coach of Manchester United,” said a club statement. “Ruben was appointed in November, 2024 and led the team to a UEFA Europa League Final in Bilbao in May. With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish.
“The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future. Darren Fletcher will take charge of the team against Burnley on Wednesday.”
United will not rush the appointment of a successor to Amorim, according to CBS Sports sources, with U18 head coach Fletcher set to step up for the visit to Turf Moor, which is followed by an FA Cup third round tie against Brighton. After that comes a run of games against the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham that could be pivotal in the Red Devils’ pursuit of European football.
Amorim leaves with United positioned to return to continental competitions after a disastrous 2024-25 season ended with them in 15th place with their fewest points in a top-flight season for over half a century. The Portuguese had been appointed in November with the club hierarchy intent on showing patience with a coach known for great success at Sporting but also for a particular tactical style. As recently as October, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who effectively leads the football side of the club, even if this sacking will have been taken in conjunction with the Glazer family, had spoken of giving Amorim three years to prove himself.
That changed in the immediate aftermath of incendiary comments on Sunday in which Amorim insisted he had arrived in Manchester to be the “manager” of the club, not the “head coach.” United’s statement announcing his appointment in November 2024 would suggest otherwise but this was not the first sign of tension behind the scenes. Amorim had previously spoken about the need to “spend a lot of money” to allow him to play the idealized version of the 3-4-3 system he favored for most of his tenure, only to move away from it in a 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Boxing Day.
That was the 15th and final win of 47 Premier League matches in charge and United are understood to view this sacking as reflective of poor performances on the pitch rather than any internal power struggles. Amorim’s record of 1.23 points per game in the division is hardly that of a coach who can complain about getting the sack.
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And yet there were signs in recent months of a team that was slowly but steadily improving, the graph above showing their expected goal difference on a 10-game rolling average and pointing to a side inching back towards the levels of 2022-23. In that season, they finished third under Erik ten Hag. Amorim departs with United three points off champions Liverpool in fourth, though a particularly condensed middle of the table means they are only four points ahead of 14th-placed Crystal Palace.
Such fine margins speak to the gamble United might be taking in handing the reins to Fletcher, who has coached 15 matches with the U18s and none at senior level. The club have framed their decision as an attempt to push towards the upper echelons of the table that they were chasing long before Amorim’s appointment. Only time will tell if this sacking is vindicated in the short term.
