Manchester United has highlighted the financial cost of poor managerial appointments. The club recently incurred a total of £37.3 million (approximately 72.5 billion won) in “unnecessary” penalties for replacing Amorim and his predecessor, Ten Haag.
The BBC, analyzing public filings from the New York Stock Exchange, reported on the 27th that Manchester United confirmed that the club could face up to 16 million pounds (approximately 31.1 billion won) in costs due to the dismissal of manager Amorim.
The Portuguese manager was sacked immediately after publicly criticizing the club’s leadership following a 1-1 draw with Leeds in early January.
Manchester United paid £11 million in penalty fees to Sporting Lisbon to acquire Amorim in November 2024. Furthermore, the exchange filing lists a maximum “provision” of £15.9 million (approximately KRW 30.9 billion). This amount represents potential liabilities (penalties) owed to Amorim and his coaching staff. The specific triggering conditions for the maximum payment were not specified in the filing. According to the BBC, this is related to Amorim’s future employment prospects.
Amorim and Manchester United had a dismal chemistry. Amorim’s tenure lasted 14 months, the shortest since David Moyes was sacked after eight months in 2014. During his tenure, Amorim won just 25 of his 63 games.
In his first season, Manchester United finished 15th in the league and lost to Tottenham in the Europa League final. This season, they suffered a humiliating penalty shootout defeat to fourth-tier Grimsby Town in the League Cup (Carabao Cup).
Amorim clashed with technical director Jason Wilcox ahead of the Leeds match. At the time of Amorim’s sacking, Manchester United were in sixth place in the league. Darren Fletcher took over as interim manager for two games, and Michael Carrick is currently in charge until the end of the season.
Since Carrick’s arrival, Manchester United have enjoyed a completely different run of form, winning five of their six league games and drawing one. They currently sit in fourth place and are well-positioned to secure a Champions League spot.
Manchester United previously paid £10.4 million to sack Ten Haag in November 2024. The total cost of sacking Ten Haag, bringing in Amorim, and then sacking him again could reach up to £37.3 million. Meanwhile, Manchester United’s current debt has been confirmed to be £215 million (approximately KRW 417.6 billion).
