Ruben Amorim's Nightmare Year Just Landed Him the AC Milan Job, And Nobody's Ready For It

Okay, Seattle, you are NOT going to believe this one. The soccer world is buzzing, and it's frankly wild. Ruben Amorim, the former manager who had a straight-up turbulent 14 months at Manchester United, is reportedly the frontrunner to take over AC Milan! You heard that right. This guy, who was cut loose on Jan. 5 after a run that saw United finish a dismal 15th in the Premier League in 2024,25, their absolute worst of the Premier League era, could be heading to Serie A. No trophies, then only 6th place after 20 games in 2025,26, and somehow, Milan wants him? This is peak sports drama!

Milan's Wild Card Play: A Gamble on a Rebuild

Despite the absolute train wreck that was his Manchester United tenure, Amorim is a wanted man in Milan. The Athletic is reporting he's the "leading candidate" for the Rossoneri job, and the two sides even "held talks" in Portugal last week. AC Milan is cleaning house, and I mean *cleaning house* after they failed to qualify for the Champions League. Massimiliano Allegri is out, sporting director Igli Tare is out, chief executive Giorgio Furlani is out, and technical director Geoffrey Moncada is out. You hate to see a team have to wipe the slate like this!

A brutal 2-1 defeat on the final matchday against Cagliari completely doomed them. They finished fifth, just one point behind Como in fourth, which means they're stuck with the Europa League next season. And get this: even without Champions League to distract them in 2025,26, Milan only scraped together 70 points from 38 matches. That's a whopping 17 less than their arch-rivals, the newly crowned Italian champions Inter Milan. The pressure on whoever takes this job is going to be immense.

From Plan B to Frontrunner: Milan's Coaching Carousel

Here's the kicker: Amorim wasn't even Milan's first choice! Can you believe it? The Athletic reports the Rossoneri initially wanted former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. But hold on, because the coaching carousel spun fast. Liverpool swooped in and snatched Iraola up after Arne Slot was surprisingly dismissed, signing him to a two-year deal. Talk about a curveball! This left Milan scrambling, forcing them to pivot.

Suddenly, reports emerged linking them to US men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino, former Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, and Al Ahli’s Matthias Jaissle, according to Fabrizio Romano. But now, it looks like Amorim has won this wild race. If he gets the gig, he's walking into a pressure cooker at San Siro, tasked with righting what everyone's calling a "sinking ship." He's got his work cut out for him, that's for sure.

United Moves On, Milan Takes the Risk

Meanwhile, Manchester United is completely in the rearview mirror on Amorim. They had a sensational second half of the season under Michael Carrick, finishing third in the Premier League and qualifying for the Champions League. Carrick was rewarded with a two-year contract, and everyone, from fans to players like Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes, praised the decision. United is already making moves to bolster their squad, reportedly striking a deal for Atalanta midfielder Éderson to replace Casemiro, and they're chasing more reinforcements to truly challenge for the 2026,27 Premier League title.

So, what's next? Amorim is likely headed to Italy, tasked with bringing Milan back to championship-winning ways while United thrives without him. It's a huge gamble for Milan, and Amorim has to prove all those doubters, including me, wrong, immediately. He needs to show he's learned from that turbulent reign. We'll all be watching to see if this bet pays off for the Rossoneri. It's going to be wild!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.