Manchester United faced their former head coach Ruben Amorim on Saturday, August 15, in a pre-season friendly that ended in a 4-2 victory for his current side, AC Milan. While many United players approached the Portuguese manager to exchange greetings after the final whistle, three notable figures—Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, and Diogo Dalot—appeared to intentionally avoid him, according to reports.
Amorim’s tenure at Old Trafford, which began in 2024, was marked by significant turbulence. During his time in charge, he oversaw 63 matches, recording 25 wins, 23 defeats, and 15 draws. The club’s performance struggled during the 2024-25 campaign, resulting in a 15th-place Premier League finish and a loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League final. Following his dismissal in January, Michael Carrick took over as interim manager before eventually securing the role permanently.
The apparent tension involving Mainoo and Rashford stems from their difficult experiences under Amorim’s leadership. Mainoo failed to start a single Premier League match during the Portuguese manager’s final season, a trend that reversed immediately once Carrick took the helm. Rashford’s relationship with the coach was also strained, leading to two separate loan spells; he spent time at Aston Villa in January 2025 before joining Barcelona for the following season.
The match itself saw Manchester United take an early lead through Harry Maguire in the second minute, but AC Milan responded as Samuel Chukwueze equalized in the 37th minute. Patrick Dorgu put the Italian side ahead in the 51st minute, only for Alphadjo Cisse to level the score again at 57 minutes. Milan ultimately secured the win with late goals from Goncalo Ramos in the 68th minute and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the 71st minute. When asked about the significance of defeating his former club, Amorim offered his reflections to the media.
This encounter served as the final pre-season test for both squads. Manchester United now turns its attention to the 2026-27 Premier League opener, scheduled for an away trip to Hull City on August 22. AC Milan is set to begin their Serie A campaign the following day with an away fixture against Torino. The report also notes that amorim was appointed the Red Devils’ head coach in 2024. The report also notes that the Italian giants won 4-2.
