Ruben Amorim Dismissed by Man Utd
Ruben Amorim has been dismissed by Manchester United following 14 months at the helm. Amorim’s position was believed to be precarious after he seemed to critique the Red Devils’ leadership following Sunday’s 1-1 draw away to Leeds United.
In the aftermath of that match, Amorim indicated that he should be regarded as the team’s manager with more influence over player recruitment, instead of merely serving as head coach, which was his designated title.
Legendary former United right-back Gary Neville reacted to those remarks by stating that Amorim had ignited an unnecessary “fire,” while fellow Sky Sports analyst Jamie Carragher commented that the ex-Sporting CP manager was “barely good enough to be a Premier League manager.”
On Monday, United officially announced that the 40-year-old’s brief yet tumultuous tenure had come to an end, with former midfielder Darren Fletcher poised to manage Wednesday’s away Premier League match against Burnley as the interim head coach.
The club released a statement saying: “With Manchester United currently positioned sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly concluded that now is the appropriate moment for a change.
“This will provide the team with the best chance for the highest possible finish in the Premier League.
“The club expresses its gratitude to Ruben for his contributions and wishes him success in his future endeavors.”
Club statement: Ruben Amorim.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 5, 2026
During his time as United’s manager, Amorim presided over 63 matches across all competitions, achieving 24 wins, 18 draws, and 21 losses.
He guided the Red Devils to the Europa League final last season, only to witness a frustrating 1-0 loss to Premier League adversaries Tottenham in Bilbao, resulting in the club’s failure to secure any European competition.
Amorim also managed the final six months of United’s worst-ever Premier League season in 2024-25, where they recorded their lowest league finish (15th), marked their poorest points tally (42), and netted their fewest goals (44) in a single season.
Amorim leaves with United just three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool in the standings, despite having drawn their last two Premier League fixtures, including a draw with struggling Wolves in the Portuguese coach’s final home match in charge.
He only recorded 15 wins in 47 Premier League games at the helm, resulting in the lowest win ratio (32%) of any United manager in the league.
No other United coach—whether permanent or temporary—has achieved a win ratio lower than 42% (Ralf Rangnick, 10/24), with the other nine individuals to lead the Red Devils in the competition having all won at least 50% of their matches.
He is the second Premier League manager to exit their role in 2026, following Chelsea’s unexpected dismissal of Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day.
Published: 2026-01-05 10:30:00
source: www.soccernews.com
