Breaking News: Manchester United Has Announced A Major Change In The Club

Breaking News: Manchester United Has Announced A Major Change In The Club

Old Trafford, 27 October 2025 – Manchester United Football Club has confirmed the immediate departure of manager Erik ten Hag and the appointment of Rúben Amorim as his successor on a two-and-a-half-year contract with an option for a further year. The announcement, delivered jointly by co-owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family through the club’s official channels at 09:00 BST, ends weeks of speculation and marks the most significant managerial transition at the Theatre of Dreams since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.

The decision to part company with Ten Hag was not taken lightly. The Dutchman, who arrived from Ajax in the summer of 2022, leaves with a mixed legacy: two domestic trophies (the 2023 Carabao Cup and 2024 FA Cup) but also the club’s lowest-ever Premier League finish of eighth place last season and a current position of 14th after nine matches. Sources inside Carrington indicate that the final straw came during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham, where a late VAR-awarded penalty for the hosts exposed familiar defensive fragility and a lack of tactical cohesion. Ratcliffe, speaking exclusively to club media, described the parting as “necessary for the long-term health of Manchester United” while praising Ten Hag’s “professionalism and dignity.”

Amorim’s arrival is nothing short of a coup. The 39-year-old Portuguese tactician, widely regarded as one of Europe’s brightest young coaches, has transformed Sporting CP into perennial Primeira Liga champions, securing the title in 2020-21 and again last season with a record 92 points. His preferred 3-4-3 system, characterised by aggressive pressing, rapid transitions, and positional rotation, has drawn comparisons to the high-intensity models of Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp. Sporting confirmed receipt of United’s €10 million release clause payment this morning, with Amorim set to take charge of his first training session on 11 November following the upcoming international break.

The speed of the appointment reflects Ratcliffe’s determination to impose a new footballing philosophy under the INEOS sporting structure. Sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox, both hired within the past year, played pivotal roles in identifying Amorim as the primary target. Negotiations began in earnest last week, with Amorim himself addressing the speculation after Sporting’s 4-1 victory over Nacional on Saturday, stating only that “my focus remains on finishing the job here.” That job will now conclude with two further matches – a league fixture against Estrela Amadora and a Taça da Liga quarter-final – before he boards a private flight to Manchester on 10 November.

Player reaction has been swift and largely positive. Captain Bruno Fernandes, who worked under Amorim at Sporting between 2017 and 2020, posted a cryptic image of the two embracing on Instagram with the caption “Welcome, boss.” Marcus Rashford, speaking to MUTV outside the Aon Training Complex, said the squad was “excited for a fresh voice” while acknowledging Ten Hag’s role in “rebuilding confidence after tough years.” Behind the scenes, however, there is caution. Senior sources suggest that several first-team regulars, including Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, face uncertain futures as Amorim is expected to prioritise youth and athleticism in midfield.

The structural implications extend beyond the touchline. Amorim will report directly to Ashworth rather than chief executive Omar Berrada, underlining INEOS’s desire for footballing decisions to remain insulated from commercial pressures. A €150 million January transfer budget has been ring-fenced, with priority targets believed to include Sporting’s defensive lynchpin Gonçalo Inácio and a new left-sided wing-back to replace the injury-prone Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. United’s recruitment team has already initiated contact with agents, though Amorim has insisted publicly that “the squad I inherit is talented enough to compete immediately.”

Fan sentiment, measured through an official club poll conducted overnight, shows 78 percent approval for the change, with many citing Ten Hag’s inability to impose a consistent identity. The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust released a statement welcoming “decisive leadership” but called for “transparent communication” regarding ticket pricing and Old Trafford redevelopment plans – issues that have simmered since Ratcliffe’s 27.7 percent stake acquisition in February 2024.

Logistically, the transition will be seamless yet intense. Ten Hag’s coaching staff, including assistants Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren, have also departed, with Amorim set to bring three trusted lieutenants from Lisbon: assistant coach Adelino Oliveira, set-piece specialist Gonçalo Álvaro, and performance analyst Ricardo Carvalho. Ruud van Nistelrooy, recently appointed as assistant manager, will remain in post to provide continuity and institutional knowledge. The club has scheduled an introductory press conference for 12 November at 14:00 GMT, to be streamed live on MUTV and the official app.

On the pitch, Amorim’s immediate challenge is daunting. United face Chelsea at Old Trafford on 3 November in a match that Van Nistelrooy will oversee as caretaker, followed by a Europa League trip to PAOK and a Premier League visit to Ipswich Town. The Portuguese coach has already begun remote analysis, with Carrington staff confirming receipt of detailed opposition reports compiled using Sporting’s proprietary data platform. His first major tactical decision will concern the integration of Rasmus Højlund, whose hold-up play aligns with Amorim’s requirement for a mobile focal point, and the repositioning of Alejandro Garnacho as an inverted right wing-back – a role the Argentine teenager has never previously occupied.

Financially, the move carries risk but also opportunity. United’s share price on the New York Stock Exchange rose 3.8 percent in pre-market trading, reflecting investor confidence in Ratcliffe’s proactive governance. The €10 million release clause, while substantial, pales beside the €86 million spent on Antony in 2022 or the projected cost of sacking Ten Hag (believed to exceed €15 million including staff compensation). Amorim’s salary, reported at £6.5 million per annum plus bonuses, represents a modest increase on Ten Hag’s package and includes performance incentives tied to Champions League qualification.

The broader context cannot be ignored. This appointment arrives amid a transformative period for English football’s most decorated club. Old Trafford’s £2 billion redevelopment masterplan, announced last month, includes a new 100,000-capacity stadium adjacent to the existing ground by 2030. The women’s team, under Marc Skinner, sits third in the WSL and will benefit from increased investment promised by INEOS. Academy graduates Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho embody the pathway Amorim champions, with the new manager having promoted 17-year-old sensation Geovany Quenda to Sporting’s first team this season.

For Amorim personally, the step is monumental. Leaving the comfort of Lisbon, where he is adored and where his family remains settled, for the intense scrutiny of the Premier League represents the ultimate test. Yet those who have worked with him speak of an almost monastic dedication: 16-hour days poring over video, meticulous attention to player welfare, and an ability to extract maximum effort through psychological insight rather than confrontation. “He doesn’t shout,” says Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand. “He convinces you that winning is the only acceptable outcome.”

As Manchester awakens to drizzle and anticipation, the red half of the city dares to dream again. The scars of post-Ferguson turbulence – Moyes, Van Gaal, Mourinho, Solskjær, Rangnick, Ten Hag – remain raw, but Amorim’s track record suggests substance over sentiment. His first words upon confirmation were characteristically measured: “Manchester United is the biggest club in the world. My job is not to promise trophies but to build a team that fights for every ball, every minute, every match.” Whether that pragmatism evolves into the glory United craves will define not only his tenure but Ratcliffe’s embryonic reign. For now, the page turns. A new chapter, written in green and white but destined for red, begins.