Ruben Amorim laughing to bank after chaotic 14-month reign costs Man Utd mammoth £30MILLION

RUBEN Amorim was all smiles despite being sacked by Manchester United — at a £30million cost to the cash-strapped club. 

The under-fire Portuguese manager — relieved of his duties after clashing with bosses — and wife Maria Joao Diogo were seen walking near their rented Cheshire mansion. 

The 40-year-old manager has received £7.5million in wages since he was given a three-year deal in November 2024 and can expect a payout of around £12million to cover the remainder. 

That means Portuguese Amorim will have pocketed around £20million for 14 months work. 

And to hire him, the Red Devils’ minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe sanctioned a release payment of £9.25million to Amorim’s ­previous club Sporting Lisbon — taking the cost of his reign to almost £30million. 

United will also have to pay up the remaining contracts for Amorim’s six backroom staff. 

A source at the club said: “Sir Jim will grimace while writing the cheques.” 

Amorim was summoned to a meeting at United’s Carrington training ground yesterday and relieved of his duties — after ­making a thinly veiled “back me or sack me” warning on Sunday.  

Hours later he and wife Maria Joao Diogo were seen beaming as they left their rented Cheshire mansion for a walk. 

One onlooker said: “Amorim looked very happy — but then so would anyone if they’d just been paid millions to leave their job. 

“His pride will be hurt, but his wallet won’t be.” 

The move comes after Sir Jim, 73, claimed the Old Trafford club faced going bankrupt unless he implemented a host of cost-cutting measures, angering staff and fans. 

Hundreds of workers were made redundant after Sir Jim put a red line through United’s spending and demanded tighter cost control. 

Free staff lunches have been cut back while a gift voucher for steward of the week was stopped. 

In December the club reported an operating profit of £13.3million in the first financial quarter, compared to a £6.9million loss in the same period a year ago. 

Amorim’s sacking also comes less than three months after Ineos billionaire Sir Jim gave him his full support. 

In October, when asked about struggling Amorim’s future, Sir Jim said: “Ruben needs to demonstrate he’s a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be. You can’t run a club like ­Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions.” 

The club source said: “Sir Jim has attracted an awful lot of criticism for demanding that his team go through every department with a fine-toothed comb to find any overspend or any way of saving any money.

“He was adamant that spending off the pitch needed to decrease so the club had more cash for players to restore success on the pitch. 

“He takes no joy in getting rid of the manager — and will be frustrated that it has cost so much. But he does think it’s the right thing to do.” 

United defender Harry Maguire posted a picture of him shaking hands with Amorim and wrote: “Thank you for everything boss. I wish you all the best in the future.”

But Argentinian Alejandro Garnacho, who left for Chelsea in the summer after falling out with the boss, simply liked a tweet about the sacking. 

Amorim’s warning on Sunday came during an explosive press conference after United’s drab 1-1 draw with Leeds. 

He told reporters: “I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not the coach. 

“And every department, the scouting department, the sport director, needs to do their job. I will do mine for 18 months and then we move on.”

Yesterday it emerged Amorim “blew up” when United’s director of football Jason Wilcox encouraged him to consider changing his tactical system after a disappointing draw with Premier League whipping boys Wolves on December 30. 

Sources said Amorim had been encouraged to play a more attacking style of football — but regarded this as interference. 

Old Trafford chiefs were left believing their relationship with Amorim was beyond repair. 

The club announced his sacking in a statement just after 10am yesterday. It read: “Ruben Amorim has departed his role as head coach of Manchester United. 

“Ruben was appointed in November 2024 and led the team to a Europa League final in Bilbao in May. 

“With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. 

“This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish. The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future.” 

United under-18s coach and ex-player Darren Fletcher will take charge for the Premier League game against Burnley tomorrow. He will be their 11th manager — including caretakers and interims — since club legend Sir Alex ­Ferguson retired in 2013. 

Fan Dan Krebs said: “Amorim is the only winner in the whole debacle.” Fellow supporter Matt Hughes added: “He was begging to be sacked — can’t say I blame him.

“Back to sunny Portugal with millions in his pocket.” Amorim’s Dutch predecessor Erik ten Hag cost United a fortune too. 

Last February, financial documents revealed the club paid a compensation bill of £14.5million to him, his coaching team and former sporting director Dan Ashworth. 

Ten Hag was fired four months after being handed a new contract. United had also paid Newcastle millions to get hold of Ashworth, who left after five months. 

THEATRE OF MEMES

WITHIN minutes of Ruben Amorim’s sacking, the internet exploded with memes, with references to ex-England boss Sam Allardyce, US President Donald Trump and United’s Carabao Cup defeat against Grimsby last year all doing the rounds.