Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has vowed to stay on despite mounting pressure following a dismal 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final — a defeat that confirmed United’s absence from European football next season and deepened the crisis surrounding the club’s future.
United’s only hope of salvaging an otherwise woeful campaign — they sit 16th in the Premier League with one game remaining — was dashed when Brennan Johnson bundled home a first-half winner for Spurs, sealing their Champions League qualification and condemning United to a season without European competition.
Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag in late October, made it clear after the match that he would not fight to defend his position but would step down without compensation if the club’s board or fans wanted change.
“In this moment, I am not going to be here defending myself — it’s not my style,” Amorim told reporters. “If the board and the fans feel that I am not the right guy, I will go the next day without any conversation about compensation.”
The financial blow from missing the Champions League is significant. United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe had earlier stated that qualification could have brought in between £80 and £100 million ($107–134 million) in revenue. Amorim acknowledged the setback, but sought to shift the focus to next season’s Premier League challenge.
“It is tough for a club like us not to be in the Champions League,” he said. “But now we have to deal with that, with a different plan. It also means more time during the week to prepare and be better domestically. That will be our focus.”
United’s performance on the night echoed much of their season — tentative, disjointed, and lacking clinical edge. Their sluggish first half was marked by defensive frailties that allowed Johnson to capitalize. Though the team improved after the break and created several chances through Rasmus Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho, and Luke Shaw, Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario made crucial saves to preserve Spurs’ lead.
Amorim maintained that his side had shown progress, despite the poor results.
“I don’t agree that we are going backwards,” he said. “We’ve had some bad results but I think we’ve improved in certain areas. We were competitive in more games, even when we didn’t score. I understand I’m a young manager. But if we scored one of those second-half chances, this would be a different press conference.”
The pressure will undoubtedly mount on Amorim in the coming weeks. With a squad in need of rebuild, no European football, and questions swirling about the club’s direction, United now face a pivotal summer. Amorim insists he is ready for the challenge — but his future could well depend on the board’s next move.
