The turbulent reign of Ruben Amorim at Manchester United ended in acrimony, with a first-team player squaring up to the head coach during a heated confrontation in the final weeks of his tenure.
The Final Straw and a Wild Press Conference
Amorim's 14-month spell in charge at Old Trafford was terminated on Monday, January 5, 2026. The decision came just a day after a remarkable press conference where the Portuguese coach hinted at major disagreements with director of football Jason Wilcox.
His fate was ultimately sealed following a face-to-face meeting with Wilcox at the club's Carrington training base on Friday. Central to their discussion was Wilcox's continued questioning of Amorim's stubborn adherence to a 3-4-3 formation. The football director, with backing from co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, had pushed for a switch to a back four, but found Amorim inflexible.
With further clashes over the club's strategy for the January transfer window, the meeting concluded with Amorim informing the United hierarchy that he was finished.
Player Relations Break Down
Amorim's relationships within the squad had become increasingly strained, particularly with players who felt overlooked. Kobbie Mainoo was one such figure, but the most volatile incident involved defender Lisandro Martinez.
According to reports, a significant stand-off occurred after Martinez, having spent most of the year recovering from a serious knee injury, grew frustrated with his bit-part role. Amorim had cautiously managed his return, limiting him to substitute appearances against Crystal Palace, West Ham, Wolves, and Bournemouth.
Martinez believed he was ready to start matches and felt he was being ignored. The situation escalated into a direct confrontation where Amorim is said to have responded in an 'intense' manner, leading to the pair squaring up. Interestingly, Martinez has since started United's last three games, even captaining the side in Bruno Fernandes's absence.
Silence and Social Media Reactions
While several United players posted warm farewell messages to Amorim online, Kobbie Mainoo was notably silent. Instead, eagle-eyed supporters spotted that the midfielder had liked a social media post celebrating the manager's departure.
The friction between Mainoo and Amorim was a persistent subplot of the season. Mainoo did not start a single Premier League game under the coach, beginning just 16 of Amorim's 63 matches in all competitions. Tensions reportedly boiled over into a 'shouting match' at the training ground towards the end of the previous season.
The discord was publicly highlighted in December when Mainoo's brother, Jordan, attended a match at Old Trafford wearing a t-shirt with the slogan 'free Kobbie Mainoo'.
The explosive combination of tactical disagreements with superiors and fractured relationships with key players ultimately led to the abrupt and chaotic end of Ruben Amorim's time at Manchester United.
