Mourinho’s former Man United assistant posts cryptic message after Amorim sack

Rui Faria has appeared to weigh in on Manchester United’s latest managerial upheaval, posting a cryptic message that many have interpreted as a pointed critique of the club’s modern structure following the sacking of Ruben Amorim.

The former United assistant, who worked closely with José Mourinho during a successful spell at Old Trafford, shared the message on social media as debate continues over the direction of the club under its new hierarchy.

Rui Faria was a key figure in José Mourinho’s backroom team at Manchester United between 2016 and 2018, having previously worked alongside him at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

During that period, United won the Europa League and EFL Cup, before Faria stepped away from the role in 2018 to spend more time with his family.

Now, in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s dismissal, the 50-year-old has posted a message that appears to question how elite clubs are run in the modern game.

Faria’s post featured a Manchester United crest in the background alongside a series of statements reflecting on how club philosophies have evolved.

“A great club's philosophy used to be about silverware,” the message read. “Coaches were hired for their winning streaks in order to achieve the club objectives. Today, coaches are often hired according to their willingness to accept a club's business plan.”

The post went on to suggest that while coaches are led to believe they are in control of a sporting project, real power is often fragmented across departments with competing objectives.

“A winning football team is more than the sum of departmental parts,” Faria wrote, warning that department-by-department targets can come “at the cost of points and silverware”.

The most pointed line concluded: “Yet the coach still remains the face of an unsuccessful project — even when their power is reduced to almost nothing!”

The comments come at a sensitive moment for United, with Amorim’s sacking receiving a mixed reaction among supporters. While results on the pitch were disappointing, many had questioned whether the Portuguese coach was ever given the autonomy required to succeed.

Attention has also turned towards INEOS, part-owners of the club, and the structural changes introduced since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement.

United have reshaped their sporting department with the appointments of Omar Berrada as chief executive and Jason Wilcox as director of football, with responsibility for football operations increasingly centralised.

With Amorim the first major managerial appointment under the new structure, his failure has inevitably raised questions about the process — and whether Faria’s words reflect wider concerns within the game.

For now, United are expected to turn to a caretaker solution while discussions reportedly continue with former figures including Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick ahead of a permanent appointment.

Whether intentional or not, Faria’s intervention has added another layer to the debate — and ensured scrutiny remains firmly fixed on how Manchester United are being run.

Manchester United must now decide whether to double down on their current structure or reassess how much influence their next head coach will truly have. With supporters craving stability and direction, the next appointment — and how it is empowered — could define the club’s immediate future.

Is Rui Faria highlighting a real problem at Manchester United — or is managerial turnover simply part of rebuilding at the elite level?