Manchester United have sacked head coach Ruben Amorim, the club confirmed on Monday.
The announcement was made on Monday morning less than 24 hours after Amorim held a stunning news conference following the 1-1 draw with Leeds United in which he urged United bosses to “do your jobs.”
Amorim, who was appointed in November 2024, leaves the role after leading the team to the UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao in May.
In a statement, United confirmed “the club’s leadership has 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 announcement was made on Monday morning less than 24 hours after Amorim held a stunning news conference following the 1-1 draw with Leeds United in which he urged United bosses to “do your jobs.”
With United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club said the decision was taken in the belief that a change would give the team the best chance of securing the highest possible league finish this season.
Amorim was appointed at Old Trafford in November 2024 on a two-and-a-half-year contract, which was due to expire in June 2027.
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Amorim began this Premier League season under immense pressure but managed to arrest a slow start and climb up the table to sit in sixth place. His side drew 1-1 with Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.
Club sources have denied that the decision was prompted by a breakdown in Amorim’s relationship with Wilcox, but rather because the hierarchy “have not seen enough signs of evolution of progress.”
But ESPN sources said Amorim was sacked in the aftermath of an explosive meeting with Wilcox on Friday.
Amorim, according to sources, did not take kindly to the conversation moving on to the subject of his preferred 3-4-3 system and the potential evolution of the team’s style of play.
“I have the feeling if we have to play a perfect 3-4-3, we need to spend a lot of money and we need time,” Amorim told media. “I’m starting to understand that is not going to happen.”
Amorim subsequently fielded a back four for the first time in Manchester United’s win over Newcastle on Boxing Day, but reverted to a back three for the dismal 1-1 draw against Wolves.
Amorim’s volatile response was seen by club bosses as “too emotional” and signaled that his relationship with Wilcox had broken down.
It was followed by a fraught news conference on Monday, during which the Portuguese coach demanded to be “manager, not the coach” and called on Wilcox to “do his job.”
United sources are insisting that the decision to dismiss Amorim was not made purely because of tensions behind the scenes and was taken because the club “had not seen enough signs of evolution or progress” on the pitch.
Following the dismisal ofAmorim, sources have revealed that the club is still mapping out a succession plan but is leaning toward naming an interim boss until the end of the season before making a permanent appointment in the summer.