Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada explained why Ruben Amorim didn’t succeed at the club, insisting it had nothing to do with his tactical ability.
The Portuguese tactician arrived at the club in November 2024, replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag.
While he proved to be more charismatic and likeable compared with his Dutch predecessor, his reign was blighted by poor results, squad omissions, and volatile press conferences.
Omar Berrada opens up on Ruben Amorim
After finishing the 2024/25 campaign in a miserable 15th place, Man Utd started the 2025/26 season on a slow note.
The underwhelming results strained the relationship between Amorim and the hierarchy. The widening rift surfaced following a draw at Elland Road, when the 41-year-old lashed out at the management in a shocking press conference, insisting he is the club’s ‘manager’ and not the ‘head coach’.
Whatever his title may be, the Portuguese tactician was sacked the following morning. Michael Carrick was brought in as a caretaker before earning the permanent role after leading the team to an impressive third-place finish.
| Matches | 63 |
| Points per Match | 1.43 |
(Amorim’s Stats at Man Utd)
Unlike Amorim, who lived and died by his three-man backline, Carrick opted for a more traditional 4-2-3-1 formation that suited the majority of the players at his disposal.
But according to Berrada, Amorim’s failure shouldn’t be attributed to the tactical aspect, but rather to his rigid personality and unwillingness to tweak his methods.
The Man Utd CEO attended the Financial Times weekend festival in New York last year, and his words were quoted by Olga Safina.
“He (Berrada) also talked about why a previous head coach didn’t work out,” posted Safina on LinkedIn.
“Not tactics or talent. Rigidity. The coach came in mid-season with no preseason to prepare, and under constant scrutiny, he held onto his ideas too tightly at exactly the point when adapting mattered most.”
Amorim was never the right choice for Man United
Over three straight summers, Man Utd tried to build a squad capable of implementing Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 formation before suddenly handing the reins to Amorim in the middle of the season.
Interestingly, the former Sporting CP manager was reluctant to join at that particular time, but eventually decided to make the jump, realising this could be a now-or-never opportunity.
Amorim perhaps should have listened to his hunch by avoiding the move, but Berrada and Jason Wilcox were also responsible for the outcome, as they had built a squad to play 4-2-3-1, but appointed a coach who explicitly told them he was only comfortable fielding a 3-4-3 lineup.
After spending six months on the sidelines, Amorim has now joined AC Milan, as he looks to bounce back from his Old Trafford failure.
Author
