Manchester United have terminated the contract of manager Ruben Amorim, ending a brief and chaotic 14-month spell at Old Trafford. The Portuguese coach was dismissed following a reported power struggle with the club's hierarchy, just a day after publicly criticising the board.
A Reign of Highs and Lows
Amorim's tenure, which began with his arrival at Carrington on 11 November 2024, was a rollercoaster from the outset. His first match in charge on 24 November 2024 ended in a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town. While he secured landmark victories, including becoming the first United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to win his first Manchester derby with a dramatic 2-1 comeback at the Etihad, the lows were far more frequent.
The 2024-25 season descended into a crisis. A dismal 15th-place Premier League finish was the club's worst in the competition's history, punctuated by heavy defeats and an early Carabao Cup exit. Despite a thrilling run to the Europa League final, where they lost 1-0 to Tottenham, the domestic campaign was a disaster.
Big Spending, Poor Results
Backed with a summer transfer spend of around £200 million on forwards Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko, expectations for 2025-26 were higher. However, the season started with a 1-0 home loss to Arsenal and hit a new nadir with a Carabao Cup exit on penalties to fourth-tier Grimsby Town.
Amorim's reign had moments of promise, such as a famous 1-0 victory at Anfield against Liverpool courtesy of a Harry Maguire header. Yet, these were consistently undermined by baffling results, like a 1-0 home defeat to a 10-man Everton side managed by former United boss David Moyes.
The Inevitable End
The final weeks saw patience wearing thin. A 1-1 draw with winless Wolves at Old Trafford in late December tested supporters' faith. The new year began with another 1-1 stalemate, after which Amorim launched a verbal attack on the club's executives. The decision to sack him was communicated the following morning, 5 January 2026.
His departure leaves Manchester United in a familiar state of turmoil, searching for stability after a reign that promised a new dawn but delivered only fleeting glory and prolonged disappointment. The task for the club's hierarchy, led by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is now to find a successor capable of restoring the club's former stature.
