Legend of AC Milan approves Amorim: “He was well in Manchester United”

Ruben Amorim kicked last Sunday in the crisis that was already settling around AC Milan by winning Lecce (3-0) categorically. At the same time, the Portuguese technician continues to collect the support of some of the most consecrated names in the history of the rossoneri emblem, such as Ruud Gullit. 

“Ruben Amorim was fine in Manchester United and I think he’s doing well in Milan, but they’re also in a transition phase and the only way to learn to get out of this situation is to be more creative,” he started by saying the old Dutch football legend in an interview with the Spanish newspaper MARKpublished on wednesday. 

Gullit, who wore the Milan jersey for 173 occasions, scoring 56 goals and having won two European Champions Cups, also left criticism of the Premier League, highlighting its enormous economic power, but stressing that the highest paid players are not necessarily the best. 

“The Premier League has money, but it doesn’t always have the best players in England. They're the ones who make the most, but that doesn't mean they're the best players. I look at some of the Premier League players and I think, ‘Well, you're lucky to play there and make so much money. Very lucky'”, he said. 

VAR target of criticism 

Ruud Gullit was also disappointed with current football, notably the presence of the VAR, of which he “does not like anything”, giving as a more recent example the goal validated by Erling Haaland in the recent Manchester derby. 

“ I still think it's a shame we have to wait for the VAR to make a decision. You can't celebrate a goal. You have to wait. It's something I don't like at all. The VAR keeps making mistakes. We saw him in the Manchester derby. It was an incredible decision and I still don’t understand how they could validate the goal,” said the former Dutch international. 

“ The assistant referee was right about the Haaland goal and that is what is regrettable. The arbitrator himself had no intervention in the decision. I should have gone to the sideline, talked to your assistant and asked the VAR to show you the pictures. It was a ridiculous decision and it is expected that things like this never happen, but it is known that in football, nothing can be absolute. For me, the way the VAR is currently being used is a disaster,” Gullit said. 

After all, how much did you pay United to fire Amorim? 

Ruben Amorim has accumulated, so far, a balance of three wins in six games in AC Milan, having returned to active last summer. In January he was fired by Manchester United, but only this week did the English club formalize the financial details of the departure of the Portuguese coach. 

The Report and Accounts, concerning the sport season of 2025/26, shows that United was unable to reach an agreement with Amorim to terminate the contract in force, which would force the Red Devils to pay the £16.7 million (EUR 19.4 million) to which it and its technical team would be entitled, by June 2027, in the form of wages.

However, the fact that Amorim went to AC Milan in the summer, accepting the invitation to succeed Massmiliano Allegri, ended up ‘cut’ the compensation of United, which was set at close to GBP 8.2 million (9.5 million), which is a saving of GBP 8.5 million (9.9 million).