Cost of Manchester United axing of Ruben Amorim revealed in quarterly reports
Manchester United reported a operating profit after their third place finish in the Premier League but their ex-manager still cost them a pretty penny.
For as bad as things looked at one point in the season, Manchester United ended the campaign on a high over the weekend. A midseason change was necessary at Old Trafford, and while it might have cost them quite a bit in the short term the club seems like it is heading in the right direction.
One step back, two steps forward
The quarterly numbers at the Theater of Dreams are out and while there are signs of promise there is one glaring red number that seems to stick out. The bottom line is, profits are up quite a bit from this year to last year, but they would have been up even more if they didn’t have a Ruben Amorim problem to deal with.
The Portuguese manager was sacked in January after an unsuccessful era as the Red Devils manager. The sacking of Amorim cost the club £16.7 million ($22.4 million) in an otherwise lucrative nine months. Amorim won just 24 or 63 matches in all competitions, for a return of 38.1%. He was let go in January and replaced by Michael Carrick.
Carrick turned things around on the pitch and in the dressing room as the former United midfielder restored order and started bringing results that are expected of a Manchester United side. They would end the season in 3rd place, and guarantee themselves a return to the Champions League which is going to guarantee extra revenue in the year to come.
Red Devils still in the red
Manchester United finished in 15th place in the Premier League last season, which meant they were not involved in any European tournaments this year. Early exits from the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup meant that the club lost out on home match revenue that could have amplified a positive nine months.
Profits this year are reportedly up £40 million this year, which is a stark contrast to last year’s nine month operating cost of £3.2 million. Last year the club came up negative as this year they brought in an influx of cash which will help cover the $650 million debt leftover from the Glazer era.
#mufc have released their Q3 financial results, showing an operating profit of £37.7m for the nine months to 31 March, compared to a £3.2m loss in the same period last year. The club attributes the improvement to the benefits of operating cost and headcount reduction programmes… pic.twitter.com/6kzsECwURR
— utdreport (@utdreport) May 27, 2026
That was all before Carrick was appointed the interim manager. Since the end of the season, Carrick has been announced as the permanent manager after a successful interim gig. Now the Red Devils are back in Champions League, looking to compete in the Premier League for the first time in a long time. Their success in the top competitions will only see their profits amplify, and obviously keeping hold of a coach like Carrick certainly helps cut costs. That was not the case with Amorim.
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