Ruben Amorim named as new Manchester United manager

Ruben Amorim was Friday named as the new manager of Manchester United, replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag.

The 39-year-old Portuguese coach, who won two Primeira Liga titles with Sporting Lisbon, has signed a deal until 2027 and will join the club on November 11.

“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 club said on its website.

“He will join until June 2027 with a club option of an additional year, once he has fulfilled his obligations to his current club.”

United described Amorim as “one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football”.

“Highly decorated as both a player and coach, his titles include winning the Primeira Liga twice in Portugal with Sporting CP—the first of which was the club’s first title in 19 years,” the club statement said.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue to take charge of the team until Amorim arrives at Old Trafford.

Amorim will oversee the Portuguese champions’ three remaining matches before the international break, starting with a game against Estrela on Friday.

Sporting host Manchester City in the Champions League next Tuesday and Amorim’s final game in charge is set to be against former club Braga in the league on November 10.

His first game in charge of United will be away at struggling Ipswich on November 24.

Sporting issued a statement saying they had “reached an agreement with Manchester United” regarding the terms of Amorim’s departure, under which United will pay 11 million euros ($12 million).

United sacked Ten Hag on Monday after a 2-1 defeat by West Ham left them languishing 14th in the Premier League, with just three wins from nine matches.

Top target

Amorim quickly emerged as the club’s top target and Sporting issued a statement to the Lisbon stock exchange earlier this week confirming United were willing to meet his release clause.

Amorim was peppered with questions about his prospective switch at his press conference ahead of Sporting’s home league game against Estrela on Friday but he remained tight-lipped.

“It is a negotiation between two clubs,” he said on Thursday.

“It’s never easy. Even with the clauses it’s never easy, they have to talk.”

Prior to Wednesday’s 5-2 win against Leicester in the fourth round of the League Cup, United had won just one of their past eight games in all competitions.

Ten Hag won the League Cup and FA Cup during his spell at Old Trafford but the club have not won the Premier League since 2013, in Alex Ferguson’s last season in charge.

Ferguson won the Premier League title 13 times but since his departure five permanent managers have come and gone without adding to the club’s 20 top-flight titles.

Van Nistelrooy said Thursday he was “motivated” to help turn United’s season around and wants to stay at the club as he prepares the players for a high-profile match against Chelsea on Sunday.

Amorim, a former Portugal midfielder, started his managerial career with then third-tier Casa Pia in 2018 before a switch to Braga. 

Sporting swooped in 2020 and he won the club’s first league title in 19 years in his first full season in charge, repeating the feat last season.

Seen as one of the rising stars on the European coaching scene, he was linked with the manager’s role at Liverpool once Jurgen Klopp announced he was leaving but Dutch coach Arne Slot headed to Anfield instead.

Amorim held talks with West Ham earlier this year before they appointed former Spain coach Julen Lopetegui to replace David Moyes.