Key Points
- Ruben Amorim was sacked by Manchester United on 5 January 2026 after 14 months in charge, with the club citing a lack of progress on the pitch.
- Reports say Amorim was angered by director of football Jason Wilcox’s conduct around his dismissal and remarks about behaving “like a manager”.
- The Portuguese coach’s exit followed a public rant in which he demanded to be treated as a manager and criticised the club hierarchy.
Manchester (The Leeds Times) January 8, 2026 – Ruben Amorim’s sacking as Manchester United head coach is understood to have been shaped not only by poor results and concerns over his behaviour, but also by a deteriorating relationship with senior figures including director of football Jason Wilcox, whose handling of the situation left the Portuguese coach deeply frustrated, according to multiple reports.
Manchester United confirmed on 5 January that Amorim had “departed his role” with the team in sixth place in the Premier League, bringing an end to a turbulent 14‑month spell that had already seen internal tension over his tactics, public comments and clashes with the club hierarchy, as detailed by reporting from Sky Sports and ESPN.
What led Manchester United to sack Ruben Amorim?
Manchester United’s official statement said the club’s leadership had “reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change” to give the team the best chance of the highest possible Premier League finish, with United sitting sixth at the time of Amorim’s dismissal.
According to Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett, the club’s hierarchy believed Amorim’s “emotional and inconsistent behaviour” had become a key factor in the decision to remove him, alongside a sense that he was unwilling to adapt his tactical approach despite uneven performances and results.
ESPN’s Rob Dawson has reported that chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox delivered the news to Amorim in person at Carrington on the Monday morning after a 1-1 draw with Leeds United, less than 24 hours after an explosive news conference in which the coach publicly challenged his bosses.
As reported by Rob Dawson of ESPN, Amorim used that press conference to demand to be seen as a “manager, not the coach” and told senior figures at the club – implicitly including Wilcox – to “do your jobs”, remarks that were viewed internally as a direct attack on the leadership and a tipping point in the breakdown of trust.
How did Ruben Amorim’s relationship with Jason Wilcox and the hierarchy deteriorate?
The relationship between Amorim and the Manchester United hierarchy had been strained for months, with disagreements over recruitment, his preferred tactical system and his public messaging about the squad.
Sky Sports News reporting states that United wanted stability and structure when they appointed Amorim but grew concerned that he was not evolving his system or adapting to circumstances, even as performances faltered, which fed into broader doubts held by senior figures such as Wilcox about his long‑term suitability.
ESPN’s account notes that sources around the club felt Amorim had to be persuaded to continue in the role during a poor run in early 2025 and that his critical comments about players and the academy further alarmed those in charge, contributing to an increasingly fraught working relationship with decision-makers.
Why was Amorim so angered by comments about being ‘like a manager’?
Amorim’s frustration centred heavily on his status and authority within the club structure, an issue he made public in his final news conference when he insisted he wanted to be treated as a “manager” rather than simply a “head coach”.
Reporting by Rob Dawson for ESPN states that from the moment Amorim publicly criticised his employers and demanded to be seen as the manager, “the writing was on the wall”, with club sources insisting the dismissal was primarily about a perceived lack of progress but acknowledging the significance of that outburst.
Within this context, any internal remarks from Wilcox or other executives drawing a contrast between how Amorim behaved and what the club expected from a manager would have cut directly across one of the Portuguese coach’s deepest frustrations: his belief that he was not being afforded the level of backing and authority he sought.
What are the wider implications of Ruben Amorim’s exit for Manchester United?
Amorim’s departure leaves Manchester United searching for yet another head coach in the post‑Sir Alex Ferguson era, with the club now turning to an interim arrangement while plotting a long‑term successor to stabilise performances and dressing-room morale.
Sky Sports News has reported that United’s leadership still believe the squad is capable of securing European qualification this season, but felt Amorim’s increasingly negative public statements and internal tensions with figures such as Wilcox meant he could not deliver the unity and progression they wanted.
Separately, SportBible has reported that Amorim could return to management quickly, with his name linked to a potential future vacancy at Benfica, underlining that his reputation in Portugal remains strong despite his difficulties at Old Trafford.
For United, the episode underscores ongoing challenges in aligning the club’s sporting structure with the ambitions of each new head coach, while for Amorim it marks a bruising end to a high‑profile Premier League opportunity that unravelled amid tactical doubts, public criticism and a collapsing relationship with the hierarchy.
