Amorim’s Future at Stake: The Europa League Final and Pressure at Manchester United
The pressure is on at Manchester United. The Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao, Spain, represents a £100 million lottery for Ruben Amorim and his team. Sources close to the situation reveal that Amorim has been working 14-hour days at the Carrington training ground in recent weeks, arriving at 7 a.m. daily, in an attempt to control a situation that has threatened to consume him during his turbulent six months as manager.
Amorim’s first months in charge have been difficult, with the club reaching historically low depths, which has left him “really ashamed.” Despite this, United, located in 16th place in the Premier League, just two places from the relegation zone, has managed to reach the Europa League final. The team is in a crucial position in Bilbao.
If United beats Tottenham at San Mamés Stadium on Wednesday, it will secure a place in next season’s Champions League and a financial gain of at least 100 million pounds. In addition, there is the prestige of regaining a place among the European elite, which could make United much more attractive to potential new signings in the summer market.
What happens if United loses? Hopes fade, and a year of uncertainty opens up, both financially and in terms of rebuilding the team. Amorim’s continuity would also be in doubt.
Amorim, 40, arrived from Portuguese side Sporting CP last November, following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag. Last week, he stated that he was “far from giving up” after suffering 13 defeats in 25 Premier League matches, adding that it would be “normal” for the club to “change us” if United continues to fail under his leadership. In the same vein, Amorim ruled out leaving before raising the possibility that he might do so. Sources close to the situation say that, while Amorim has been managing the team, United’s hierarchy has had to manage the coach to assure him that he will have the necessary support to turn the club around.
When he took over at United in November, Amorim, who had been considered by Liverpool as a successor to Jurgen Klopp 12 months ago, initially wanted to finish the season at Sporting and then take over at Old Trafford this summer due to the difficulties of imposing his tactical methods on an underperforming team mid-season. However, United held firm, insisting they could not wait until the summer, so Amorim moved earlier than he wished.
His worst fears have been confirmed, and the task he undertook has proven to be much greater than he ever imagined. Sources close to the club revealed that Amorim had become so disenchanted with life at United in January (after a run of one win in eight games that culminated in a 3-1 home defeat to Brighton) that he was ready to quit, but his associates convinced him not to.
Although a United source claimed there was no formal move from Amorim to resign, it was acknowledged that he had to be reassured by important figures at the club, including chief executive Omar Berrada, that he would have support to turn the team’s fortunes around. Furthermore, United’s new footballing hierarchy, led by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, remained firm in their belief that Amorim was the right man for the job, despite the team’s struggles on the field.
A source revealed that Amorim was “visibly gray” during a gloomy January, and when he celebrated his 40th birthday with a 1-0 victory at Fulham at the end of the month, the United coach said: “I’m 40 today… well, I’m 50 after spending two months at Manchester United!”
In March, Ratcliffe even publicly came out in support of Amorim in a series of interviews in which he stated: “Ruben is an exceptional young coach and I think he will be [at United] for a long time.”
That faith in Amorim led him to back his decision to exclude Marcus Rashford from the team during the winter and seek a new club for the forward, who has been on loan at Aston Villa since January. Rashford remains United’s highest-paid player, with three years remaining on his £325,000-a-week contract, but the club’s management continues to support Amorim’s stance on the 27-year-old.
Amorim has faced difficulties since taking over at Manchester United, but tensions haven’t completely disappeared, even though the club has reached a major European final that could pave the way to the Champions League if they win.
Despite the support of his superiors at United, sources within and around the club have stated that Amorim has continuously questioned himself, and also the club’s ability to renew the first-team squad to his satisfaction. They also shared that his first weeks at Old Trafford were affected by the difficulties experienced by some members of his staff, who had left a winning team in Lisbon only to find their adaptation, on and off the field, in Manchester difficult.
In February, it was reported that some first-team players were not impressed with Amorim’s coaching staff, a claim dismissed by a source as “background noise” from connections with players who couldn’t get into the team. But with the team going from one bad result to another, Amorim made repeated comments in press conferences about his own shortcomings and those of his players, having described the team as the “worst team in United’s history” after the defeat to Brighton in mid-January.
Off-field discord at Old Trafford, fueled by a series of dismissals and cost-cutting measures at all levels of the club, has added to Amorim’s problems. The money-saving effort at United, driven by Ratcliffe’s INEOS Group, overshadowed the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City last season. Then, last week, it was reported that Amorim had to pay for 30 members of his staff to have two tickets each for friends and family to attend the match in Bilbao because the club refused to foot the bill. Sources familiar with the situation report that the first team has also jointly paid for a charter flight to northern Spain to allow friends and family to travel to the match.
In contrast, Paris Saint-Germain announced earlier this month that it will pay for the club’s 600 employees to attend the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Munich on May 31.
Sources have revealed that an important player whose contract ends this summer has not yet been informed whether he will be renewed or released, while another has told his associates that he believes his appearances are being restricted in an effort to force him to seek a transfer.
A long-standing member of the team was dismayed by Ratcliffe’s critical comments in March regarding his contract and salary at the club, according to sources. Ratcliffe had criticized the signing of players from the previous regime, including Casemiro, Antony, and Rasmus Højlund, saying they were “overpaid and underperforming”.
0:58 Laurens: Amorim has the right to be ashamed of Manchester United’s season. Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens question Ruben Amorim’s response to another Manchester United defeat in the Premier League.
Despite the behind-the-scenes dispute, injuries to key players throughout the season (Luke Shaw, Matthijs De Ligt, Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo), cost-cutting measures and, most importantly, the abundance of bleak results and performances in the Premier League, Amorim has guided United to the Europa League final, where they will be 90 minutes away from winning a major trophy and returning to the Champions League.
A source revealed that, in recent weeks, Amorim has begun to “love” the challenge of reviving United, but that he is still struggling to “get the right mentality.” Those frustrations have been made clear in his comments in recent days, after the defeat at Old Trafford against West Ham and when he spoke at United’s Europa League press day last Wednesday.
But after warning that “a storm will come” after a start of three unbeaten games as a coach last December, Amorim has somehow overcome the darkest days to put United on the verge of a major trophy. It all comes down to one match in Bilbao.
