Ruben Amorim has kept a low profile over the past six weeks since being sacked by Manchester United, but the Portuguese manager has now been spotted at a tennis match
Former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has been spotted watching Carlos Alcaraz play at the Qatar Open in the first public sighting since he was sacked. Amorim was dismissed by United on January 5 and is spending his free time by travelling to the Middle East to watch a different sport.
He was in the stands to see Alcaraz beat Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open on Thursday night. The cameras zoomed in on the manager in the third set as the Spaniard closed in on a 6-7 6-4 6-3 victory over the Russian at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.
Sky Sports‘ commentator remarked that Amorim ‘has got a bit of time on his hands’ after being dismissed by United. It is unclear if Amorim has any connection to Alcaraz or Khachanov, or why he is in Qatar.
The 41-year-old was sacked last month after sending a not-so-subtle message to the United board in a post-match rant following a 1-1 draw against Leeds. He was later seen taking a walk with his wife in Cheshire, but has kept a low profile since.
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He lasted just 14 months in the Old Trafford hot seat, winning 24 of his 63 matches in charge after arriving from Sporting Lisbon. United’s statement said ‘the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change’, and the team has seen their form improve dramatically since.
United appointed Michael Carrick as interim manager for the rest of the season and the ex-midfielder has won four and drawn one of his five games so far. The team has moved from sixth to fourth in the Premier League table and appear on course to return to the Champions League next season – a golden ticket that Amorim could not secure after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham in May.
Amorim reportedly received a £10million pay-out after being sacked by United, who handed him a £6.5m-a-year deal until June 2027 when he arrived from Lisbon in November 2024. He has been linked with a return to Portugal, with Benfica reportedly keen to hire him if Jose Mourinho leaves in the summer.
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Given his gigantic pay-off by United and his known preference to take the reins at a new club in the off-season, it is understood Amorim is unlikely to want to rush back into management. Amorim is yet to speak publicly since being sacked by United and is reportedly waiting until the end of the season being doing so because he doesn’t want to undermine Carrick’s efforts.
And although United have improved since Amorim’s exit, striker Matheus Cunha believes the former boss deserves some credit for his work “I’ve always been very grateful for everything Ruben did,” Cunha told DAZN.
“I think it’s very easy, when things change, to see the past as only problems, but it’s quite the opposite; he was an incredible person. Many new players came because of him, so I think he also plays a big part in the success we are having now.”
Asked about Amorim’s tactical approach, he added: “The pressure for that tactic to work was so great that we forgot how simple the overall context was and focused too much on the negative.
“But, to be very honest, I think the numbers of football is very misleading. We attack in various ways and end up defending with the formation that everyone says is Ruben’s.”
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