By
Arinze Izik
MILAN — Ruben Amorim has admitted he made “mistakes” during his time as Manchester United manager and has apologised to the club’s supporters.
Speaking for the first time to United fans since his dismissal in January, the 41-year-old Portuguese addressed the issue at his unveiling as AC Milan head coach on Wednesday.
“It is hard to explain the mistakes. It is hard to tell you about every mistake, but I learned a lot at United,” Amorim said.
“I made some mistakes. I didn’t have the opportunity to speak to the Manchester United fans at that moment, and I am sorry for that. I am really proud to have been their coach for a year, but now it is a different chapter.
“There are a lot of things I could have done better in my last job. But sometimes that happens. You have to learn and find the right places to reach a different level.”
United paid €11 million, about £9.5 million, to bring Amorim from Sporting CP in November 2024, where he had won two Primeira Liga titles and was regarded as one of Europe’s top young coaches.
Despite arriving with United just four points off the top four, the team slumped to a 15th-place finish, their worst in the Premier League era. They ended the season on 42 points, their lowest top-flight total since relegation in 1973-74.
Fourteen months after his appointment, Amorim was sacked by the Old Trafford leadership, including CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, following a breakdown in relations behind the scenes.
Berrada said in June that Amorim struggled because he “cornered himself” by being too rigid with his tactical ideas. However, he also credited the Portuguese for improving the dressing-room culture and for laying groundwork that helped United qualify for the Champions League under interim boss Michael Carrick.
Amorim was named AC Milan head coach on June 16. The Rossoneri, who finished fifth in Serie A last season, also broke their club transfer record in June by signing striker Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain.
Milan will begin their 2026-27 Serie A campaign against Torino on August 23.
