Ruben Amorim was sacked by Manchester United after 14 months in charge and the Portuguese manager did not get along with all of his players during his tenure.
Ruben Amorim has been sacked by Manchester United after just 14 months in charge at Old Trafford. During this time, the 40-year-old head coach certainly didn’t get along well with all members of the team.
Amorim started this Premier League season under immense pressure, but managed to make up for a slow start and move up the table to sit in 6th place. His team drew 1-1 with Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.
However, after a dramatic press conference, the Portuguese coach was relieved of his duties due to communication problems. As Amorim bids farewell to Old Trafford, Mirror Football takes a look at members of the United squad who have never seen eye-to-eye.
marcus rashford
When Amorim arrived in Manchester, it looked like Marcus Rashford would thrive under him. The English forward scored three goals in his first two games, but then there was a sharp decline.
The manager began to question Rashford’s professionalism, with him allegedly having a night out two days before the Manchester derby, and his performance in training the following day being described as lackluster. These suggestions were denied by Rashford’s camp.
But in early 2025, Amorim outed the forward in public. When asked why he doesn’t feature under him, he said: “It’s always the same reason, training. If things don’t change, neither will I.”
read more: Manchester United sack Ruben Amorim LIVE: Full statement, confirms decision on next managerread more: WhatsApp messages from former Man United stars to Darren Fletcher revealed after Ruben Amorim’s sacking
“If you look at the bench you can see that we are missing a little bit of pace, but I would put[Manchester United manager Jorge]Vital ahead of a player who is not giving his all every day.”
Rashford was soon loaned to Aston Villa and returned in the summer, but the rift had a lasting impact. Amorim refused to let him return to the United squad, and he has now been sent on loan to Barcelona.
Alejandro Garnacho
Another high-profile feud involving Amorim centered around Alejandro Garnacho. The Argentine forward had been linked with a move away from the club, but things turned personal during the final stages of United’s Europa League campaign in mid-2025.
The manager publicly criticized Garnacho’s mistakes in the semi-final match against Athletic Club and made the decision to remove the player in the 1-0 loss to Tottenham in the final.
After this, Garnacho said, “I played all the rounds until the final to help the team, but today I will play 20 minutes, but I don’t know. The final will influence my decision (to leave or not).”
Indeed, just a few months later, in August, with his relationship with Amorim irreparable, he left for Chelsea in a deal worth £40 million. He still deprives Amorim of his freedom to “like” social media posts breaking the news of his firing.
jadon sancho
Jadon Sancho had already clashed with Erik ten Hag before Amorim’s arrival, and things did not improve under the Portuguese manager.
Despite it being thought that Sancho might return from his loan move to Chelsea to play under manager Amorim, the head coach was unimpressed with Sancho’s commitment, saying: “I’m building a team based on commitment and a specific tactical profile. Jadon understands his situation” when asked why Sancho would not play.
From there, Amorim reportedly told United’s board that it would be better for everyone if Sancho left. He moved to Aston Villa in September, but the two sides continued to clash.
Asked if he would shake Sancho’s hand when Villa played United in December, Amorim replied: “I shake hands with the Villa manager. The players on the pitch of the other team are not my concern. He is not our player now. He is just a name on the sheet.”
anthony
Early on in Amorim’s reign, it became clear that he did not value Brazilian winger Anthony. He moved on loan to Real Betis in January 2025. Asked why, Amorim said: “To play in this system you need a level of physical strength that Jadon (Sancho) and Anthony are currently struggling to find.”
Anthony’s representatives slammed the claim, and in the summer of 2025 he was expelled, along with Sancho and Rashford, who helped form the so-called bomb squad.
The Brazilian joined Real Betis on a permanent basis for £22 million in the summer, but has since said he felt like the club and Amorim disrespected him during his time in Manchester.
Rasmus Hoylund
United signed Rasmus Hojlund under manager Ten Hag, but when Amorim arrived it became clear that he would not be employed as the club’s first-choice striker.
He continued to play for Amorim, but in the summer he was deemed not to meet the requirements and left for Napoli on loan with an option to buy. From this point on, the relationship between the two became strained.
Amorim was asked last October if he regretted letting Hojlund leave, with new signing Benjamin Sesko struggling to find the back of the net. “In this system, you can’t have a striker who just waits for the ball. I need an intelligent runner, someone who can think and react in the box before the defender moves,” he said.
Since then, Hojlund has viciously attacked Amorim on social media, captioning his post celebrating Napoli’s goal: “Thinking fast enough?”
“What a great decision,” he captioned a photo of himself holding the trophy after his Napoli team won the Italian Super Cup in December.
Coby Mainu
Under Amorim, Koby Mainu has barely featured this season, starting just one game against Grimsby Town in the League Cup. It was a significant turnaround from his incredible performances for England at Euro 2024 and when he scored the FA Cup-winning goal under manager Ten Hag.
Although the pair only had a professional falling out, jibes were aimed at Mainu’s personality, with Amorim reportedly saying he was not fast enough to play in the midfield between them.
He has been linked with a move in the January transfer window, and even appeared in a 4-4 draw with Bournemouth in December wearing a ‘Free Coby Mainu’ T-shirt.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily Manchester United content from Mirror Football. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£43
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
