Manchester United Appoints Ruben Amorim as Head Coach

Manchester United has officially named Ruben Amorim as its new head coach. He is described as “‘The second special one'” by those familiar with him. The 39-year-old Portuguese coach, set to join Old Trafford from Lisbon-based club Sporting on 11 November, has agreed to a contract extending until June 2027. Ruud van Nistelrooy, a former United striker who assumed interim charge following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal on Monday, will continue in his role for the team’s upcoming three matches. Amorim marks the sixth permanent manager appointed by United since Sir Alex Ferguson concluded his 26-year tenure with his retirement in 2013. The club issued a statement asserting that Amorim “is one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football”. Sporting confirmed via a statement that United has consented to pay 11m euros (£9.25m) to activate a release clause within Amorim’s existing contract. Amorim’s inaugural match leading the Red Devils is scheduled for 24 November, following the international break, in a Premier League encounter against newly promoted Ipswich. His initial home fixture will be against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League on 28 November, followed by a league match against Everton the subsequent weekend. United plans to disclose the members of Amorim’s coaching staff at a subsequent time. Amorim is expected to bring up to five coaches with him, including Carlos Fernandes, 29, and Adelio Candido, 28, who have been part of his staff since his managerial debut with Casa Pia. Emanuel Ferro, a goalkeeping coach, and sports scientist Paulo Barreira are additional individuals who may also transfer to Old Trafford. Following a defeat to rivals Porto in the Portuguese Super Cup on 3 August, Amorim has steered the team he guided to last season’s Primeira Liga title through an undefeated streak of 14 games. Amorim is slated to be in the dugout on Friday as Sporting hosts Estrela in a league fixture (20:15 GMT). Sporting will also play at home in the Champions League on Tuesday against Manchester City. Amorim’s final match at the helm is scheduled against his former club Braga in the league on 10 November, preceding a pause in European top-flight football for Nations League games. The Football News Show highlighted Manchester United fans’ reactions to Ruben Amorim’s appointment. Ruben Amorim earned 14 caps for Portugal during his playing career. Amorim takes over a Manchester United team currently positioned 14th in the Premier League and 21st out of 36 teams in the Europa League table. Nevertheless, the Portuguese coach arrives at Old Trafford with a standing as one of Europe’s most promising managers. The former Portugal midfielder commenced his managerial career with third-tier Casa Pia in 2018. He subsequently joined Braga’s B team the following summer, managing them for only 11 matches before being promoted to manager of the first team, where he supervised 13 games prior to Sporting’s approach. During his 13 matches in charge, Amorim led Braga to their first away victory against Benfica in 65 years and triumph in the Taca da Liga cup final – Portugal’s equivalent of the EFL Cup – against Porto. His achievements with constrained resources prompted Sporting to make Amorim the most costly managerial acquisition in Portuguese history, paying £8.5m to release him from his Braga contract. Sporting’s calculated risk proved successful as Amorim steered the club to the 2020-21 league title in his inaugural season, their first in 19 years, with only one defeat occurring after the title had been secured. Despite several high-profile player departures, such as Manuel Ugarte to Paris St-Germain, Amorim guided Sporting to a second league title in four years last season. As part of his managerial development, Amorim spent time at Old Trafford in 2018 during the period his compatriot Jose Mourinho managed the club. He has frequently been likened to Mourinho, who has also coached Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Tottenham, and is presently with Fenerbahce. Amorim held discussions with representatives from West Ham United in April 2024 regarding the possibility of succeeding David Moyes as manager. He subsequently apologized for the journey to London, stating it was “disrespectful” and “a mistake”. Chelsea showed interest in Amorim after Mauricio Pochettino’s departure at the conclusion of last season, and Liverpool considered him as a potential successor for Jurgen Klopp before ultimately appointing Arne Slot. According to BBC chief football news reporter Simon Stone, while Amorim characterized the circumstances surrounding Manchester United’s managerial situation as a “soap opera”, the Premier League club acted with considerable speed. After the decision was made that Ten Hag would depart following Sunday’s 2-1 loss at West Ham, United identified their preferred candidate and dispatched chief executive Omar Berrada to Lisbon on Monday for direct discussions with Sporting. The interim phase involved negotiations to reduce a 30-day notice period. It swiftly became apparent that Amorim would not be available for United’s Premier League match against Chelsea this weekend, which alleviated some pressure; however, despite hopes that Sporting might release the 39-year-old earlier, this did not materialize. Amorim is believed to be earning approximately £3m annually with Sporting. It is projected that his salary at United will more than triple, reaching around £10m. This places him significantly behind Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola but will elevate him among the Premier League’s highest earners. Given the circumstances, officials at Old Trafford consider the outcome satisfactory, as it permits Van Nistelrooy to remain in charge for an additional three home matches. Contrary to some reports, United officials maintain that the club did not engage with any other candidates for the vacancy, having concluded that Amorim aligns with their structure, which is led by sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox. This appointment finalizes the restructuring initiated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s partial acquisition on Christmas Eve last year. United has emphasized Amorim’s playing style, personality, ability to develop young players, and energy as the primary attributes making him suitable for the position, though there is no indication that Ten Hag was deficient in these qualities. United believes they have secured what club officials describe as “the most exciting young coach in Europe”. This optimism regarding the future has been a recurring theme with all their previous managers since Ferguson. This appointment marks the first under the Ineos era. Club officials acknowledge that, despite all discussions, Ratcliffe will bear full accountability for future developments. The Football News Show posed the question: Are Manchester United or Ruben Amorim taking the bigger risk? © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.