Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has revealed an unusual detail about his no-nonsense relationship with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe and INEOS still backing Amorim
Despite last season’s struggles, Ratcliffe and the hierarchy remain fully supportive of Amorim, whose job is under no imminent threat.
Ratcliffe endured a tough start to life at United after taking over from Erik ten Hag, losing 14 of the 27 Premier League games he took charge of.
Under him, United couldn’t buy a win to save their lives and ended up finishing a lowly 15th place, having suffered 18 Premier League losses. The Red Devils also suffered a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
But, Amorim has been backed in the market with the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo – two of the Premier League’s most dangerous attackers last term. More arrivals are expected to follow ahead of the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
Ratcliffe has previously opened up on the fantastic straight-talking relationship he has with Amorim, and now the Portuguese coach has shared that the INEOS billionaire even sends him GIFs on WhatsApp.
Amorim comments on his relationship with Ratcliffe
Amorim told The Telegraph, “We speak on the phone, he sends me messages, he sends me GIFs. ou call it GIFs? Like joking. So we have this kind of relationship.”
“I think it’s really easy to deal with Jim. Easy in the sense that if you know your stuff, if you know how to explain any decision, you’ll be fine with him. If you try to use some bulls— in big words with him, he’s going to knock you. So for me it’s really easy. I will say whatever I need to say with, of course, a lot of respect, like with everybody.”
“I know that he’s the owner of the club, I know my place. But when I need to say something, I will say it naturally, with no bulls—. I can say that – with no bulls—. I’m not [talking] around the subject, I’m really direct and I think it’s something that he likes a lot.”
Amorim continued, “I always felt that [backing]. In some moments in the last season, I was more concerned about me than them.”
“They always show the support and if you try to remember one team – one big team, massive team – that lost so many games and the manager kept their job, you will not find it. So that shows more than words that they support me. I think it’s really important to say to the fans that this is a club thing.”
“Of course the manager is really important, but all this idea of the culture, how we want to buy players, what kind of players we want, is a club thing.”
Amorim stressed that Mbeumo and Cunha elected to join United because of the club’s idea and project, rather than just the manager.
Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
