Manchester United reveal £8.2m final bill for sacking Ruben Amorim and his staff

Manchester United paid £8.2m to sack Ruben Amorim and his coaching staff, the club confirmed in its end-of-year financial results published on Wednesday. The figure is significantly lower than the £16.7m compensation bill United originally faced, because Amorim’s contract stipulated the sum would be reduced if he found new employment — which he did when AC Milan appointed him in the summer.

The £8.2m exceptional item covers Amorim’s own settlement as well as pay-offs for assistants Carlos Fernandes, Adelio Candido, Emanuel Ferro and Jorge Vital. A small portion is also attributable to final costs from the club’s ongoing restructuring programmes and additional contributions expected to be made to pension schemes.

Amorim was dismissed in January after just 14 months in charge, having compiled the worst win ratio (32 per cent), the worst goals-conceded-per-game ratio (1.53) and the lowest clean-sheet ratio (15 per cent) of any manager in United’s Premier League history. His tenure ended amid reported tensions with the club’s board, which came to a head publicly when he challenged United’s decision-makers in a post-match press conference following a defeat at Leeds.

The £8.2m figure compares favourably with the £36.6m exceptional item United recorded the previous year, which was primarily driven by the sacking of Erik ten Hag and members of his coaching staff.

Chief executive Omar Berrada offered a measured verdict on Amorim’s time at Old Trafford shortly after his dismissal. “Ruben Amorim deserves a lot of credit,” Berrada said. “In a very difficult season he helped raise standards in the dressing room. I am sure he will go on to be a successful coach.”

Amorim himself has since reflected candidly on the experience. “I learned a lot,” he said. “The important thing that I clearly know is that I made a lot of mistakes. When you do this kind of reflection, and you understand that it was not just their fault, but also my fault, I think you can be a better coach and a better man.”