Portuguese media react to Ruben Amorim's Man Utd sacking as finger of blame pointed

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Ruben Amorim's exit from Manchester United was predictable and fuelled by frustration, according to his country's media. The Portuguese boss was sacked on Monday following a chaotic tenure at Old Trafford, where he had been heavily criticised for his tactics and results.

Amorim's departure followed his side's 1-1 draw against Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday, with the club currently sitting in sixth place in the table. United had won just two of their last six games, beating Newcastle on Boxing Day and Wolves away earlier in December 2025.

During Amorim's time at United, he won 24 games, drew 18 and lost 21, giving him the worst win rate (31.9 per cent) of any permanent boss at Old Trafford. His record of 1.23 points per game in the Premier League is the lowest among all managers at United since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013.

In addition to this poor form, the 40-year-old's final comments as manager stunned fans and critics alike as he stormed off after answering the media's question about the board's confidence in him. Amorim claimed he is "just the manager" of the club and everybody else needs to "do their job" in order for them to succeed.

Here, the Portuguese media have reacted to Amorim's sacking and given their thoughts on their countryman's tenure in charge of one of the biggest clubs in England.

Portuguese media outlet Record believes that Amorim's sacking was the "predictable epilogue" to something that had begun happening long before it was announced on Monday. They pointed to the heavy criticism faced by the boss regarding his tactics, including comments from club figures such as Gary Neville and Roy Keane.

The publication claimed these United icons pushed the narrative that Amorim would "never be the right man" for the job and "anticipated failure" for the Portuguese manager. Despite all this, it couldn't be avoided that Amorim's "stubbornness" led him down a path that cost him "time and credibility" in Manchester as he refused to change his mind on aspects of his playing model that cost the club results.

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However, Record pointed out that numerous coaches with more experience than Amorim had failed at Old Trafford long before he did, citing the likes of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.

The media outlet believes Amorim didn't succeed at United because he couldn't "adapt" under pressure. However, the club will continue to fail as it "no longer recognises itself in the mirror," and has become a place where managers go to be sacked, not revered as successes.

Portuguese publication A Bola was strong in their stance on Amorim's sacking, believing the 40-year-old "dug his own grave" consciously as he knew the situation at United was "unsustainable."

There is a belief that Amorim had differences with the scouting department regarding the idea that players had to be sold in order for transfer targets to be signed. They also questioned Neville's strong words against the former United manager and claimed the "external pressure" from club legends and other critics led to the club sacking Amorim to "reduce the noise."

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A Bola also reported that United's head of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, questioned the manager's choices following Fulham boss Marco Silva's explanation of his team's ability to counter the Red Devils' system. It is widely known that Amorim doesn't allow people to interfere in his tactics, and due to this stubbornness, it was only a matter of time before risk outweighed results at United.

From a poll run by A Bola, where they asked if people were surprised by Amorim's exit, 39.2 per cent believed the club were better off keeping him. However, a huge 51 per cent were of the opinion that his strong words after the Leeds draw just confirmed the inevitable that he would depart Man United.

A few readers left their own thoughts underneath the poll, with one writing: "I don't know how it lasted so long with such poor results."

Another added: "With all that 'tactical stubbornness,' it was only a matter of time." One Amorim fan urged him to return to Sporting CP as they claimed the team is "still the same," meanwhile, another put him forward for the Benfica job in the future.

One reader was strong in his criticism of Amorim, writing: "That's what I've been expecting for a long time, because he was quite ambitious and showed a lack of principles by abandoning Sporting; he got what he deserved. He'll never return to Sporting again; that would be rewarding a lawbreaker. Get a job at your club as an assistant."

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