Amorim out as Man United make mid-season coaching change

Ruben Amorim's time at Manchester United is over after just 14 months, with the Premier League club confirming his dismissal on Monday, a day after he made provocative comments about his future following a 1-1 draw with Leeds.

"With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club's leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change," United said in a statement. "This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish."

United said youth coach Darren Fletcher would take charge of its match against Burnley on Wednesday.

Amorim oversaw a slew of unwanted records at the 20-time English champion including its lowest finish in the Premier League era last season.

The United job has proved one of the most difficult in world football since club legend Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with Amorim the sixth permanent manager or coach to be discarded in that time.

Amorim apologized to fans at the end of last season for what he described as a "disastrous" campaign when United finished 15th in the standings, recorded its highest number of losses in a Premier League season and lowest points total.

Last week there were reports that figures at the club had questioned his tactics and on Sunday the Portuguese sought to clarify his position.

"I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United," he said. "And that is clear.

"I'm not going to quit. I will do my job until another guy is coming here to replace me."

Amorim was considered one of the brightest coaches in Europe when United hired him from Sporting Lisbon in November 2024 at a cost of 11 million euros (US$12 million). He had led the Portuguese giant to two league titles in four years and was seen as the ideal candidate to lead United back to the summit of English football after more than decade since it was last crowned Premier League champion.

But results plummeted in his first season and defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final ended hopes of qualifying for the lucrative Champions League.

Still he was given more than $300 million to reshape his squad with signings like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. But the struggles have continued this term, with United winning only two of its first six games in the league and suffering a humiliating loss to fourth-tier Grimsby in the League Cup.

Results have improved, but just three wins from the last 11 games have seen United fail to close the gap on the top three in the standings.

Amorim was the first head coach appointed under the minority ownership of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who assumed control of United's football operations from US majority owners, the Glazer family.

He is the latest high profile hire to come and go under Ratcliffe, following the swift exit of former sporting director Dan Ashworth after less than six months.

Ratcliffe has sought to control spending since investing US$1.3 billion for up to 25% in 2024 and has made sweeping cuts. But the departures of Ten Hag and Ashworth alone cost US$18 million, according to United's accounts. That was on top of the fee paid to release Amorim from his contract at Sporting Lisbon.

Amorim's United contract ran until 2027. It is unknown what severance he will be due.

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