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Enzo Maresca says YES to replacing Ruben Amorim at Man Utd
Tom Weber
- Updated: 5 Jan 2026 20:07 GMT
- 4 min read
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Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is interested in replacing Ruben Amorim at the helm of Manchester United, according to a report.
The parallels between the way in which both managers departed their roles within a matter of days of each other are quite startling. Both Maresca and Amorim felt boxed in by the hierarchy at Chelsea and Man Utd, respectively.
In December, Maresca publicly bemoaned a lack of support and ultimately left Chelsea by mutual consent on 1 January. This does not tell the whole story, however, as the Blues were also ready to sack him after feeling that his position had become untenable.
This is what happened at Man Utd on Monday when Amorim was dismissed following a staggering outburst less than 24 hours before. The Portuguese claimed that he joined the club to be "manager" and not merely "head coach."
The fallout at both clubs has been similar, too, with sources not holding back in criticising the departed coaches. Both have been accused of lacking emotional maturity, and the task at hand was simply too big, although Maresca, unlike Amorim at Man Utd, actually achieved success at Chelsea.
Maresca interested in Man Utd job
Chelsea are now on the verge of appointing Liam Rosenior from BlueCo sister club Strasbourg as their new head coach, while Darren Fletcher will take interim charge of Man Utd, potentially until the summer.
It is thought that Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is the favourite for the Man Utd job, but TEAMtalk reports that Maresca has also been approached by the Red Devils.
Contact with his new agent, Jorge Mendes, has been established to sound out his interest in the job. The report claims that Maresca would be open to taking charge at Old Trafford despite the similar leadership structure to Chelsea.
CEO Omar Berrada and Maresca know each other from their time together at Man City, and there is a long-standing admiration for the Italian. Ben Jacobs has revealed that Chelsea moved fast to appoint Maresca in 2024 because they feared that Man Utd could make a move for him.
However, director Jason Wilcox, who is leading the search for a new coach and whose breakdown in relationship with Amorim ultimately led to the latter's sacking, is not putting his eggs in one basket, it is claimed.
Man Utd will carry out a thorough search for a replacement and will not hand the job to Maresca simply because he is available right now. The 45-year-old, for his part, is also a target for Man City if and when Pep Guardiola departs and for Juventus.
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