The hiring of Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim as Manchester United’s new manager at Old Trafford has finally been confirmed. After a poor start to the season, United fired Erik ten Hag on Monday and promptly began negotiations with 39-year-old Amorim to replace the Dutchman.
The appointment took all week because the club was willing to pay a €10 million release clause to sign their top target before running into problems with further money to get Amorim’s assistant coaches. Amorim, however, will now depart Sporting CP after four years in command, having won two league titles to break the team’s 19-year drought, and with Sporting leading the Primeira Liga after winning all nine of their games.
Following the international break, the 39-year-old’s first game as manager will be away to Ipswich on November 24. He will join United on Monday, November 11. He has a one-year club option to stay until June 2027, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who guided the team to a 5-2 Carabao Cup triumph against Leicester earlier midweek, will serve as interim manager until the Portuguese comes.
Similar to the task he confronts now, the former Benfica footballer established himself as one of the most talented young managers in Europe by bringing peace and glory back to the chaotic Sporting he inherited. Having lost their first three European games, United is currently in 21st place in the Europa League standings and 14th in the Premier League after nine games.
Announcement
“Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Ruben Amorim as head coach of the men’s first team, subject to work visa requirements,” the Red Devils said in a brief statement posted on their website to confirm the appointment. One of the most dynamic and well-regarded young coaches in European football is Ruben.
He has won the Primeira Liga twice with Sporting CP in Portugal, the first of which was the team’s first trophy in 19 years. He is a highly renowned coach and player. As United continues to pursue that elusive 21st league title, Amorim is the team’s eighth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
As part of his coaching education, he spent a week in Manchester observing Jose Mourinho, one of those managers. Amorim’s footballing philosophy, on the other hand, is very different; they prioritize attacking play and strong pressing, and they also favor a 3-4-3 configuration.
Amorim also reunites with his former Sporting midfielder, Manuel Ugarte, while United has two Portuguese players: defender Diogo Dalot and captain Bruno Fernandes. When asked about Amorim’s future last year, Fernandes said to SportTV, “I think all the qualities are there to be able to succeed in English, French, or Spanish football.” We are aware that the Premier League is presumably the most sought-after. I think he has everything he needs to move forward and has the qualities [to thrive in England].
The new hierarchy
Since Ineos took over Old Trafford’s football operations after purchasing a minority investment in the team in February, Amorim is the team’s first managerial hire. Cycling expert Sir Dave Brailsford was brought in to manage the project when Sir Jim Ratcliffe reorganized the hierarchy.
Dan Ashworth was recruited from Newcastle United to serve as the team’s sports director, and Omar Berrada moved in from Manchester City to become the chief executive officer. Ten Hag was initially supported as manager by the new leadership team, but criticism mounted after a run of subpar performances last season, which led to an eighth-place Premier League finish.
Ten Hag earned a one-year contract extension and an investment of almost £200 million in the playing team after saving his career with an unexpected win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final. However, Ineos’s pursuit of other options was well publicized, and after a dismal start to the 2024–25 season that included crushing defeats at home by Tottenham and Liverpool, the writing was on the wall.
