Manager Erik Ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United.
"Ten Hag has left his position as manager of the Manchester United men's team," Manchester United announced on their website on October 28.
"Ten Hag was appointed in April 2022, leading the team to two domestic titles: the 2023 League Cup and the 2024 FA Cup. We are grateful to Ten Hag for everything he has done for the club and wish him good luck in the future. Ruud van Nistelrooy will take over as manager, with the same assistants, while the club searches for a new manager."
Manchester United's statement, which is 87 words long, means that only Ten Hag has been sacked, while his assistants will continue working with the team. The club's leadership informed the Dutch manager of this decision this morning, October 28th, Manchester time. The official announcement was posted in the early afternoon.
According to British newspapers.GuardianBillionaire Jim Ratcliffe, the club's largest individual shareholder, made the final decision after discussions with the board of directors. Ten Hag's old contract with the team expires in summer 2026, so the "Red Devils" may have to pay a compensation fee of around $21 million to sack the 54-year-old coach.
Ten Hag's final match as Manchester United manager was a 1-2 defeat against West Ham in the ninth round of the Premier League yesterday, October 27th. This result leaves the team in 14th place, one of the lowest positions in the club's history in the Premier League after nine rounds. In the Europa League, Man Utd are also only in 21st place after three rounds.
Last season, Man Utd finished eighth, their lowest in the Premier League era. At the time, there were rumors that Ten Hag would lose his job, but a victory over Man City in the FA Cup final saved him. However, despite spending $232 million on players last summer, the team's results at the start of the 2024-2025 season have not improved.
Man Utd have won four, drawn five, and lost five of their 14 matches across all competitions since the start of the season. Ten Hag often stated in interviews that the team's performance was below expectations due to numerous player injuries. In September 2024, CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth also said they were patient with Ten Hag, but the defeat against West Ham was the final straw.
Ten Hag, 54, is the fifth official manager in the post-Alex Ferguson era, following David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. His win rate is 55.1%, second only to Mourinho.
Van Nistelrooy, 48, scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for Manchester United between 2001 and 2006. He managed PSV Eindhoven in the 2022-2023 season, leading them to win the Dutch Cup. Van Nistelrooy was appointed as Manchester United's assistant coach from the summer of 2024, alongside Rene Hake. At the time, former defender Jamie Carragher predicted that the talented former striker would replace Ten Hag.
Van Nistelrooy's first match as Manchester United manager will be in the fourth round of the League Cup against Leicester City on the evening of October 30th.
Man Utd are targeting several managers, such as Ruben Amorim from Sporting, Thomas Frank of Brentford, and Xavi. The former Barcelona manager is currently unemployed and also has a soft spot for Man Utd. Yesterday, Xavi's wife posted a photo on social media of her son wearing a Man Utd shirt.