Ruben Amorim has been sacked by Manchester United.
The Portuguese’s final game of his 14-month spell in charge was the 1-1 draw against Leeds United on Sunday, that leaves them sixth in the Premier League after 20 matches.
Former midfielder and current Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher is expected to take charge on an interim basis. His first game would be away at Burnley on Wednesday night with a permanent appointment likely to wait until the summer.
The decision has been arrived at by the club’s leadership team, including chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, after a breakdown in relations behind the scenes.
As per the terms in the deal Amorim signed to leave Sporting CP for United in November 2024, there is no clause present to enable a discounted exit meaning United will have to pay up his contract in full. It was set to run until 2027 with the option of a further year.
Speaking after the draw at Elland Road, Amorim hinted at tensions with those working alongside him, making clear in his post-match press conference that he considered himself the “manager” of United, not the “coach”.
“It’s going to be like this for 18 months or when the board decide to change,” Amorim added. “That was my point, I want to finish with that. I’m not going to quit. I will do my job until another guy is coming here to replace me.”
Amorim has been criticised for his perceived tactical inflexibility during his time at United, due to his preference for a 3-4-3 set up. However, The Athletic reported in December that United had been trialling other formations in training. Against Newcastle United on December 26, Amorim’s side recorded a 1-0 win playing in a 4-2-3-1, before reverting to the 3-4-3 and drawing 1-1 against Wolverhampton Wanderers four days later.
Speaking before the Leeds game, Amorim hinted at differences of opinion relating to the 3-4-3 formation and an inability to sign the players his preferred system requires. He again set his team up in the 3-4-3 against Leeds.
United paid €11million (£9.25m; $11.95m) to hire Amorim from Sporting, where he won the Primeira Liga title in 2021 and again in 2024 while also winning the Taca da Liga — the Portuguese League Cup — on two occasions. Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag, with the Dutchman leaving after two and a half years in charge at Old Trafford.
United went on to suffer their worst-ever Premier League season, finishing 15th with just 42 points — their fewest in a top-flight season since they were relegated in 1973–74.
They went out of the FA Cup in the fifth round at the hands of Fulham, suffered a Carabao Cup exit at the quarter-final stage after losing to Tottenham Hotspur and reached the final of the Europa League, only to lose to the north London side again. Defeat by Spurs in Bilbao sealed a first trophyless campaign since 2021-22 and ensured they failed to secure European football for the first time since 2014.
United spent more than £200million ($269m) on new signings during the 2025 summer transfer window, with Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha all arriving for fees above £60m. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens also arrived from Royal Antwerp in an £18.2m deal on deadline day.
This season United endured their worst opening to a campaign since 1992-93, managing only seven points from their opening six Premier League games.
The Athletic reported in September that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had flown in to the team’s Carrington training ground for a series of meetings, including with Amorim, with the team’s form on the agenda.
Following the embarrassing Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two Grimsby Town in August, Amorim himself called his future into question saying “something has to change” and that the club’s players “clearly showed what they want”. He went on to say later that week that “sometimes I hate my players, sometimes I love my players”.
Amorim was previously in contention to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool before Arne Slot ultimately got the job and also held talks over replacing David Moyes at West Ham, before later apologising and calling the meeting “a mistake”.
United have had six permanent managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and have finished no higher than second in that time, achieved by both Jose Mourinho (2017-18) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (2020-21). The club have spent more than £50million ($67m, €57m) on removing managers since Ferguson left the role.
