Ruben Amorim still has the full backing of Manchester United and will not be sacked despite the defeat in the Europa League final that means this will be their worst season for decades.
United’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham in Bilbao means they missed the chance to qualify for the Champions League and, for only the second time in 35 years, will not play in Europe next season.
But while Amorim has only taken 24 points from his 26 league games in charge, with just two in their last eight matches, United’s stance has not changed.
They believe the 40-year-old Portuguese is their manager for the long term, a view which has not changed because of one game or one season.
Amorim said in Bilbao that he was willing to walk away without a pay-off if United decided he was no longer the right man but that he wanted to carry on.
Amorim still has two years left on the contract he signed when he joined from Sporting CP in November, with United paying €11m in compensation. Chief executive Omar Berrada was instrumental in appointing Amorim while co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said in March he thought the head coach is doing “a really good job” and hoped he would be in charge for a long time.
United are now only 16th in the Premier League and are set for their lowest league finish in half a century.
And the loss to Tottenham has cost them around £100m in broadcast, sponsorship and matchday revenue, with the value of their kit deal with Adidas set to drop by £10m as they are out of the Champions League for a second successive season.
It could also makes the club’s rebuilding job harder to fund, though United are expected to sign Wolves’ Matheus Cunha, who has a £62.5m release clause, and are interested in striker Liam Delap, who is available for £30m after Ipswich’s relegation.
