Revealing the compensation amounts: Since Sir Alex Ferguson's era, Manchester United has paid relentlessly, dismissing seven managers and burning through several billion baht.
On 6 January 2026 GMT+7, the greatness of Sir Alex Ferguson's era made Manchester United a club feared across England and Europe, winning 13 Premier League titles and maintaining remarkable managerial stability.
However, after Ferguson retired in 2013, everything changed completely.
Over nearly 13 years, Manchester United has appointed 10 managers: 3 caretakers and 7 permanent managers, all of whom ended their tenure with massive compensation packages reflecting a failure to maintain continuity.
1. Moyes: The start of the cycle of firing, paying, and starting over.
The first to suffer after Ferguson was David Moyes, appointed as his direct successor but managing only 295 days before leaving with compensation around £5.2 million, approximately 223 million baht.
This marked the beginning of a cycle from which Manchester United has not escaped.
2. Van Gaal and a trophy that could not save his job.
Louis van Gaal led Manchester United to an FA Cup victory but couldn’t keep his position after 679 days. The club paid him £8.4 million in compensation, about 361 million baht.
3. Mourinho: The most expensive compensation in the post-Ferguson era.
The case of Jose Mourinho was the most costly lesson. He was sacked shortly after signing a new contract, forcing Manchester United to pay £19.6 million, roughly 843 million baht, in compensation.
This figure also included compensation for his personal staff who left alongside him, making Mourinho the highest-paid dismissed manager in the club’s history.
4. Solskjær: A long tenure that ended badly.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær was given a lengthy opportunity of 1,068 days but ultimately failed to restore Manchester United’s former glory. The club paid about £7.5 million, or approximately 322 million baht, in compensation upon his departure.
5. Rangnick: 179 days but top-level compensation.
One of the most surprising numbers is Ralf Rangnick’s. Despite managing just 179 days—the shortest tenure listed—he received compensation of £14.7 million, over 632 million baht.
The key reason was not just his caretaker role but the cancellation of a planned two-year consultancy contract, forcing Manchester United to pay a large sum to end all his roles simultaneously.
6. Ten Hag and the backfiring contract option.
Erik ten Hag faced significant administrative questions after the club extended his contract to 2026 in summer 2024 but dismissed him in October the same year, resulting in compensation reaching £17 million, about 731 million baht.
7. Most recently, Ruben Amorim.
The latest is Ruben Amorim, who managed 431 days before parting ways with the club, receiving compensation around £12 million, or approximately 516 million baht, adding another financial burden to the club.
Adding up the compensation for all seven permanent managers, Manchester United has paid over £84.4 million, equivalent to more than 3.6 billion baht.
These figures not only reflect frequent managerial changes but also highlight structural problems and unclear executive decision-making since Ferguson’s departure from Old Trafford.