Manchester United have abruptly dismissed head coach Ruben Amorim, with former player and current technical director Darren Fletcher set to take interim charge for Wednesday’s Premier League fixture against Burnley.
The club announced the decision on Monday, less than a day after a 1-1 home draw with Leeds United left the team sixth in the league.
In a statement, United said the leadership had “reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change” to secure “the highest possible Premier League finish.”
Amorim’s departure follows a weekend of mounting tension. On Friday, the 40-year-old Portuguese hinted at a strained relationship with the club’s hierarchy, suggesting he would not receive full backing in the transfer market. After the Leeds match, he sharpened his critique, telling reporters he wanted to work as “a manager, not the coach,” and indicated a readiness to leave when his contract expired in 2026.
Club sources told BBC Sport that executives saw insufficient evidence of tactical evolution or progress this season under Amorim, who was appointed in November 2024. He won 25 of his 63 matches in charge, a tenure now marked as the shortest for a permanent United manager since David Moyes was dismissed after eight months in 2014.
Amorim’s entire coaching staff have also left the club. Darren Fletcher, a former United midfielder who has served in various backroom roles, will step into the dugout temporarily as the board begins its search for a permanent successor.
