LONDON, England — Manchester United has terminated the contract of manager Ruben Amorim in a sudden Monday dismissal that has sent shockwaves through English football. The Portuguese coach’s departure comes after a mere 14 months at the helm, with the club languishing in sixth position in the Premier League standings.
The decisive action followed a series of disappointing results, including a recent draw against Leeds United and a particularly damning 1-1 stalemate with last-place Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford. Statistical analysis reveals Amorim exits with the poorest win record (31.9%) among all seven managers who have attempted to fill the void since legendary Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013.
The dismissal culminates escalating tensions between Amorim and club management, particularly Director of Football Jason Wilcox. The situation reached a boiling point during a remarkable post-match press conference after the Leeds game, where Amorim pointedly differentiated himself as “the manager” rather than “just the coach,” and publicly challenged the scouting department and Wilcox to “do their job.”
Prominent football pundit and former United defender Gary Neville expressed astonishment at the timing of the decision, stating: “I am surprised it’s happened this morning. I didn’t realise it would happen so quickly. The Wolves game seems to me to be the killer game—it was a bad one.” Neville characterized managerial dismissals as “a poor reflection on everybody” that ultimately leaves all parties worse off.
Echoing this sentiment, former England striker Gary Lineker described Manchester United as a “basket case” organization on his podcast, suggesting Amorim was fundamentally mismatched to the role. “It didn’t seem to be the right fit and he was a bit stubborn about the way he wanted to play,” Lineker analyzed, adding that club leadership failed to provide adequate support in player recruitment.
Despite the contentious departure, United defender Harry Maguire struck a conciliatory tone on Instagram, posting a photograph with the former manager alongside the message: “Thank you for everything boss. I wish you all the best in the future.”