Manchester United’s decision to part ways with head coach Ruben Amorim and his backroom staff cost the club £16.7 million ($22.5 million), according to financial results released on Wednesday.
Amorim was dismissed in January despite having 18 months remaining on his contract. His successor, Michael Carrick, subsequently oversaw a significant turnaround in form, guiding United to a third-place Premier League finish and qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
The payout to Amorim marks the latest costly managerial exit for the Old Trafford club. Financial figures published in February 2025 revealed that United spent £14.5 million to dismiss former manager Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff.
Carrick’s appointment, confirmed last week on a two-year permanent deal, appears to have paid off after United endured a disappointing 15th-place finish under Amorim in 2025 — the club’s worst league campaign since their relegation from the English top flight in 1974.
United’s improved league position also boosted the club’s finances. Broadcast revenue for the quarter ending March 31 rose by 57.1 per cent to £64.9 million, driven largely by projected prize money linked to their third-place finish and television revenue distributions.
Despite missing out on European competition this season, the club reported revenue of £520 million for the first nine months of the financial year, compared to £502 million during the same period the previous year, when Amorim guided the team to the Europa League final, which they lost to Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester United also posted an operating profit of £37.7 million for the nine-month period ending March 31, 2026, a sharp improvement from the £3.2 million operating loss recorded during the corresponding period a year earlier.
The club’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose to £187.5 million, up from £145.3 million in the previous financial year.
United attributed part of the financial improvement to cost-cutting measures introduced since co-owner Jim Ratcliffe joined the club, including controversial staff redundancies and reductions in operational expenses.
However, the club continues to carry substantial debt under majority owners, the Glazer family. Short-term borrowings alone rose to £262.5 million, approximately £50 million higher than the same period last year.
AFP
