Days after sacking Erik ten Hag, Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ruben Amorim as their next head coach. The 39-year-old Portuguese has signed a deal that will keep him with the Red Devils until the end of the 2026-27 season, as the Old Trafford club agreed to pay the reported 8.3-million-pound release clause from his contract at Sporting CP. (More Football News)
Amorim's first game as Manchester United boss is likely to be against the newly-promoted Ipswich on 24 November, post the international break. His first home game is slated against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League on 28 November, with a Premier League fixture against Everton the following weekend.
In a statement, United said that "Ruben is one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football".
Ruud van Nistelrooy will oversee United's next three games, against Chelsea, PAOK and Leicester City.
At age 39, Amorim will be the youngest person to coach United since the 1960s and the sixth permanent manager since the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013. He led Sporting to two Portuguese titles in four full seasons in charge, but has only worked in Portugal and has no experience of managing some of the game’s top players under the constant glare of the world’s media.
Amorim will finish his time at Sporting with a game against Estrela da Amadora on Friday, at home to Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday and with a trip to Braga on November 10. He reportedly held talks with West Ham last season before the London team hired Julen Lopetegui, and was also linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool before Arne Slot was appointed.
The Premier League now has four managers in their 30s, with Amorim joining Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler (31), Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna (38) and Southampton’s Russell Martin (38).
(With AP inputs)
