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Ruben Amorim in 'pole position' for new manager job days after Manchester United sacking
Jan 08 2026 10:17 · By onefootball.com · 43 Reads
Sacked head coach is already being lined up for his next job
Ruben Amorim is already being linked with a swift return to management just days after being sacked as head coach of Manchester United .
The Portuguese was dismissed earlier this week after 14 tumultuous months in charge, which will see him go down as one of the worst coaches in the club’s history.
Amorim’s exit from Old Trafford has been widely attributed to deteriorating relations with the club hierarchy after he publicly criticised the board.
A meeting with director of football James Wilcox last week reportedly escalated tensions behind the scenes, with Amorim reluctant to move away from his failing tactical approach.
Amorim’s record was deeply underwhelming, recording a win rate significantly lower than any other permanent United manager in the Premier League era. Despite leading the team to a Europa League final last season, inconsistent results and poor league form — including the club’s lowest finish in decades in his first season — contributed to his downfall.
Amorim’s exit has triggered a managerial scramble at United, with Darren Fletcher appointed interim boss and former managers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick both in contention to take charge for the remainder of the season.
Jose Mourinho is struggling at Benfica
Getty Images
As his former club work on appointing a successor, Amorim is reportedly already being lined up for a new job,
The Daily Mail reports that Amorim is in pole position for the Benfica job back in Portugal.
Current head coach Jose Mourinho - another former United manager - is under pressure after the club fell 10 points behind league leaders Porto.
Benfica are also in a fight to remain in the Champions League as they languish in 25th place in the league phase standings.
Amorim is still considered an attractive option given his success as manager of Sporting, having also won multiple honours - including three league titles - as a player with Benfica .