Ruben Amorim fired by Manchester United after turbulent managerial spell
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Manchester United has fired manager Ruben Amorim after a rollercoaster spell at the Premier League giant, the club confirmed on Monday.
A club statement said the Red Devils’ hierarchy “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 statement added. “The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future.”
Amorim was tasked with rebuilding the team when he took over in November 2024 but has struggled to find consistency over his 14 months in charge.
The club currently sits sixth in the Premier League after another uninspiring draw against Leeds United on Sunday.
There was clearly tension building behind the scenes at Old Trafford with Amorim hinting on Sunday that he was unhappy with interference from the club’s leadership.
“I just want to say that I’m going to be the manager of this team, not just the coach. I was really clear on that,” he said in what proved to be his last news conference at United.
“That is going to finish in 18 months and then everyone is going to move on. That was the deal. That is my job. Not to be a coach.”
Less than 24 hours later, the club had relieved Amorim of his role.
Ongoing struggles
Amorim was announced as the new first-team head coach following the sacking of Erik ten Hag.
He took over part-way through last season and promised to implement his distinct style of play on the team, something that many thought a rudderless Manchester United needed.
But progress was slow at the beginning, with Amorim telling fans that things would get worse before they got better.
Patience, though, began to wear thin after the Red Devils finished 15th in the league last season and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham.
There were hopes that there would be a marked improvement this season, with Amorim having an entire preseason to coach and mold the team but, despite signs of development, results continued to disappoint.
He finishes with the worst win ratio (32%) and the worst goals conceded per game (1.53) in the Premier League era of any Manchester United manager, per Opta.
Manchester United’s minority owner Jim Ratcliffe had given Amorim a public show of support in October, saying he deserved three years to prove himself.
But relationships at the club have clearly disintegrated to the point where United is now looking for a new permanent manager.
The club is currently without a league title in 13 years, since legendary manager Alex Ferguson’s last season in charge. In truth, the team has never recovered from that departure and has been in flux ever since.
Former player and youth academy coach Darren Fletcher will take over on an interim basis for the team’s next fixture against Burnley on Wednesday.
The squad is particularly thin at the moment, with injuries to key players and others away with their national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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