Ruben Amorim has admitted that his spell at Manchester United came with “a lot of mistakes”, saying the experience taught him plenty before his move to AC Milan.

The Portuguese coach was dismissed in January after a breakdown in relations with the club’s hierarchy, including director of football Jason Wilcox, and the club then paid another £15.9 million ($21.2 million) to remove him and his staff. His exit brought down a turbulent 14-month stay that never found stable ground.

Amorim’s United side struggled to impose itself, with a back-three structure that often left the team short of control and vulnerable to the unpredictability of Premier League football. The numbers from his time at Old Trafford underline why the project unravelled. He leaves with the club’s worst Premier League win ratio at 32%, the worst goals conceded per game ratio at 1.53, and the lowest clean sheet ratio at 15% in their history.

Across 63 matches, United won 25, drew 15 and lost 23, with a win percentage of 39.7 and a +8 goal difference. The decline in results and the lack of a clear identity were central to the decision to move on.

Now at AC Milan after replacing Massimiliano Allegri, Amorim says the past is behind him. Speaking during a press conference on Milan’s preseason tour down under, he said: “The first thing is that it doesn’t matter anymore,” Amorim told reporters during a press conference on Milan’s preseason tour down under. “That is the feeling. There’s a history, then something happens, the context changes, and you focus on the next challenge.”

AC Milan are backing him to restore them to the top of Serie A after back-to-back finishes of eighth and fifth, having parted ways with Allegri in May. Amorim was appointed on June 15 and now begins a new chapter with a very different set of expectations.

Ruben Amorim used his first press conference as AC Milan coach to apologise to Manchester United supporters and concede that his time at Old Trafford contained a string of errors he did not have the space to explain in full. He said he had stayed silent for six months after his sacking and only spoke after joining Milan.

On the subject of his United tenure Amorim told assembled media: “It is hard to explain the mistakes,” and added: “It is hard to tell you about every mistake, but I learned a lot.

He continued: “I made some mistakes. I didn’t have the opportunity to say something 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 history.

Amorim acknowledged there were many things he could have handled better during his 14 months in England. “There are a lot of things that I could have done better at the last experience. But sometimes it is like that. You have to learn to find the right spots to reach a different level.” He said the period of reflection followed a collapse of a campaign that ended only after he publicly lambasted his own bosses.

One recurrent criticism in England concerned his persistence with the 3-4-2-1 shape that had delivered success at Sporting CP but that he continued to employ at United. The coach admitted he delayed a change of system until a victory at Newcastle the day after last Christmas, and explained he had held out because he did not want players to feel he was yielding to outside pressure. “When you [journalists] talk about changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand that I am changing because of you,” he said.

The press conference also highlighted wider communication issues that dogged his spell at United. The man nicknamed “the Poet” by Cristiano Ronaldo was repeatedly drawn into controversy for public criticism of individuals and the squad, a style that the article says alienated certain players, most notably Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo. Amorim accepted his biggest misstep came before his first match when he left Sporting with an unbeaten start to 2024–25 after being presented with an immediate ultimatum to join United.

Ruben Amorim has returned to management with AC Milan six months after his abrupt exit from Manchester United in January 2026. The Portuguese arrived as the Rossoneri begin a full reset following a disappointing end to 2025–26 that cost the previous coach his job.

Amorim’s time at Manchester United ended after an attempt to implement a major tactical change failed to deliver the required consistency. The club improved at stages during the second half of 2025–26 but results remained uneven and a reported disagreement with sporting director Jason Wilcox over tactics was said to have left the relationship beyond repair.

Milan dismissed Massimiliano Allegri after being pipped to Champions League qualification by Como on the final day of Serie A, a collapse that followed a title challenge that lasted until February. The club also sacked the chief executive, sporting director and technical director for “unequivocal failure.” Massimo Calvelli was appointed the new CEO in late June amid reported plans to restructure from within and uncertainty over replacements in other director roles.

On arrival in the city ahead of formally starting work, Amorim framed the Milan job in personal terms. “I am truly very happy to be here. It’s an honor to be the Milan coach. If you watch an old interview of mine, I said that this is a special club for me,” he told reporters outside Milan Linate Airport.

“It’s a big challenge,” he continued. “After the last time [at Manchester United], I told myself to choose less demanding challenges, yet here I am, it’s an even bigger challenge.

“But I am proud to be here; now I want to work with my staff and my players … I am truly happy to be here. Am I here to win? You cannot come to Milan without this mentality. We have a lot to do, but if you are the Milan coach, you must play to win.”

Amorim’s rapid return is also of financial consequence to Manchester United, limiting the overall compensation due to him and his staff. For Milan the appointment comes amid high expectations from a club that has won Serie A only twice since 2004, while Juventus have taken nine titles and Inter eight in the same period.