Former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim and his coaching staff could receive up to £15.9 million in compensation following their dismissal last month.
Amorim, 41, was sacked on January 5 after 14 months in charge at Old Trafford, with five members of his coaching team also departing the club. Initial reports suggested he received a £10 million pay-off after being dismissed at the club’s Carrington training base by director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada.
However, a filing submitted to the New York Stock Exchange revealed that the total cost of removing Amorim and his staff could rise to £15.9 million. The exact figure will depend on conditions such as whether Amorim secures another managerial role within a specified period.
The Portuguese coach’s departure significantly increased United’s recent managerial costs. The club paid £8.3 million to release him from his contract at Sporting Lisbon in October 2024 and an additional £900,000 to bring him in earlier than scheduled. Amorim signed a £6.5 million-per-year contract until June 2027, with the remaining value of his deal estimated at just over £10 million.
His compensation package brings the total cost of hiring and firing him to nearly £27 million. This follows an earlier £14.5 million expenditure linked to the dismissal of Erik ten Hag and the departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth.
If United are required to pay Amorim and his staff in full, the club’s spending on managerial and executive exits within 15 months could approach £30 million.
Amorim left the club a day after a tense press conference following a 1-1 draw with Leeds United, during which he publicly criticised club leadership. Reports indicated he had clashed with Wilcox days earlier.
He was initially replaced on an interim basis by Darren Fletcher before United appointed Michael Carrick as permanent manager. Carrick has since overseen an impressive run, winning five and drawing one of his first six matches to boost the club’s hopes of returning to the UEFA Champions League.
The Red Devils currently sit fourth in the Premier League standings, having accumulated the most points — 18 — of any team in the league this calendar year. The top five teams will qualify for next season’s Champions League, and United are three points clear of Liverpool in sixth place.
During his tenure, Amorim won 25 of his 63 matches in charge, finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the UEFA Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur in May.
