Why Ruben Amorim Survives and the Millions Man United Spent on Sackings

Manchester United’s struggles have left Ruben Amorim clinging to his job, with the club’s massive spending on sackings making his dismissal too costly.

After Brentford scored their third goal against Manchester United, securing a 3-1 Premier League victory, fan attention shifted to the visitors’ dugout: “You’re getting sacked in the morning!” the stadium chanted at Ruben Amorim.

Despite most football fans expecting the 40-year-old manager’s dismissal, it has yet to materialise, even amidst poor results and dismal performances.

Nevertheless, less than a year after his appointment, discussions about the Portuguese manager’s future are constant. The primary reason for his continued employment reportedly lies in the massive costs the ‘Red Devils’ have incurred over the past decade to part ways with their coaching staff.

Manchester United has lost more than half of its 33 Premier League matches under Ruben Amorim’s leadership. Amorim took charge last November, following four and a half years at Sporting Lisbon. Manchester United reportedly paid around £11 million for him and his staff at the time.

However, the club has valid reasons to hesitate before ending the Ruben Amorim experiment. Sacking a manager is an expensive affair.

At Manchester United, financial matters have been intensely scrutinised since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a stake in the club in February 2024. The Athletic highlights the expenses the English club has incurred solely on dismissals, in addition to hundreds of millions invested in transfers.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson for nearly three decades, Manchester United never worried about the cost of changing managers. Since his retirement in 2013, things have drastically changed: Ruben Amorim is the sixth manager in just 12 years.

David Moyes, after just 10 months of a six-year contract, was dismissed together with his staff, a move that cost the club £4.9 million. On his part, Louis van Gaal, after two years, was dismissed, with his departure costing £8.4 million.

Jose Mourinho, sacked in December 2018, received a record £19.6 million along with his team. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure cost £9.1 million.

Erik ten Hag, dismissed just four months after the club extended his contract, his separation cost £10.4 million. Ralf Rangnick, appointed interim after Solskjaer, was meant to take on a consultancy role, but left in May 2022.

His departure coincided with other compensations, totalling £14.7 million, although the exact sum paid directly to the German remains unknown.

For a club of United’s stature, this sum might not seem enormous (under 1% of revenues during the same period). However, in recent years, sporting issues have begun to erode financial resources, and the club’s economic decisions often suggest amateurism.

Erik Ten Hag’s dismissal was followed by the departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth after just five months, adding another £4.1 million to the bill. Together, these two dismissals accounted for two-fifths of the total staff costs last season.

Meanwhile, United has drastically cut spending: salaries decreased by £51.5 million (14% of the total) after eliminating 176 administrative positions. However, dismissals in the sporting sector consumed nearly 30% of these savings.

In total, payments for dismissals and restructurings have cost the club £34.5 million since Ratcliffe became a shareholder.

If Manchester United were to sack Ruben Amorim and his staff, the costs would be significant: the Portuguese manager’s contract expires in June 2027, meaning a separation would entail substantial compensation. Even purely from an accounting amortisation perspective, it would mean an additional cost of £4.2 million in the 2025-26 season.

On the other hand, continued poor results lead to other losses. Last season, a 15th-place finish brought them only £136.2 million from the Premier League, their lowest financial prize since 2016.

Furthermore, the lack of European participation this season already means reduced revenues, while rivals are earning increasingly more.