Manchester United sacked their manager, Ruben Amorim, on Monday. The board has asked former player Darren Fletcher to take over from the Portuguese on an interim basis, football journalist Fabrizio Romano has said.
🚨 OFFICIAL: Darren Fletcher takes over Manchester United on interim basis after Rúben Amorim is sacked. pic.twitter.com/T2l8oS54GE
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 5, 2026
"Ruben Amorim has departed his role as Head Coach of Manchester United. With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish," the Premier League side said in an official statement. "The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future," it added.
Club statement: Ruben Amorim.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 5, 2026
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Manchester United are 17 points behind leaders Arsenal, and have won only one of their last five matches.
Why led to Amroim's sacking?
The announcement comes a day after the Red Devils were held to a draw by relegation-threatened Leeds United and the manager made some outspoken statements during a media interaction. The 40-year-old gaffer, who arrived from Sporting Lisbon, had bristled at questions about his job security, delivering a defiant message that he came to United as a manager with full authority and not merely a coach taking orders.
He grew visibly irritated when pressed about whether he still had the board's confidence. The 40-year-old cut off reporters with a sharp rebuke about "selective information" before launching into an emphatic defence of his position. Amorim made it clear he had no intention of walking away from Old Trafford, repeatedly emphasising his managerial authority over simple coaching duties.
Amorim, who was the international teammate of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo, was not having the best relationship with director of football Jason Wilcox, and his media outburst could now be safely taken as the breaking point. The decision was taken by Wilcox alongside chief executive Omar Berrada, English media reports said.
Amorim was informed on Monday morning about the club's decision to fire him, Manchester Evening News said in a report.
What did Ruben Amorim say during his press interaction?
Amorim had demanded more authority from the club higher-ups during the interaction and had alleged that only selected information was reaching the media. "I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. And that is clear. I know that my name is not Tuchel, it's not Conte, it's not Mourinho, but I'm the manager of Manchester United. And it's going to be like this for 18 months, or when the board decides to change.
"So that was my point; I want to finish with that. I'm not going to quit. I will do my job until the other guy is coming here to replace me.
"I just want to say that I'm going to be the manager of this team, not just the coach. And I was really clear on that. And that is going to finish in 18 months and then everyone is going to move on. That was the deal. That is my job, not to be a coach."
