Man Utd connection emerges as third former Old Trafford box is axed in days

Last Updated on 2 September 2025

Besiktas fired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his failure to secure Conference League qualification and Fenerbahce followed suit, sacking Jose Mourinho a day later.

It has been a tough start to the season for current and former Manchester United managers alike.

Ruben Amorim went winless in his first three games of the 2025/26 campaign, losing to League 2 outfit, Grimsby Town in dramatic fashion.

That came after an uninspiring draw away to Fulham and a loss to Arsenal at home. With pressure mounting on the former Sporting Lisbon manager, he faced a nervous wait on the sidelines, as Bruno Fernandes slotted home in stoppage time against promoted side, Burnley, to give Manchester United their first win of the season.

Over in the Süper Lig in Turkey, two former Man Utd managers have faced similarly poor results.

Unlike the top brass at Manchester United, Besiktas and Fenerbahce haven’t been as forgiving to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho. Fenerbahce announced Mourinho’s departure after their failure to qualify for the Champions League. The latest former Man United manager to lose his job is Erik ten Hag.

Bayer Leverkusen part ways with Erik Ten Hag in shock move

Surrendering a two-goal lead to a ten-men Werder Bremen side was the final straw for Ten Hag, who also lost his first Bundesliga game in charge.

While the entire football world scrambles to get deals over the line on transfer deadline day, Leverkusen dropped the bomb with the Dutchman’s sacking.

Simon Rolfes, the managing director, explained the thinking behind the difficult decision, ““This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step. However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this setup is not feasible. We firmly believe in the quality of our team and will now do everything we can to take the next steps in our development with a new setup.”

With the confirmation of Ten Hag’s departure, three former Manchester United managers have lost their jobs in the space of five days.

Wayne Rooney claims Manchester United are ‘broken’

Speaking in his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, the former Man Utd striker claimed something was ‘broken’ at the club, given the turmoil Amorim’s in.

“His words were damning on the players,” said Rooney, “if your manager comes out with those words, there’s something broken.”

Despite a tough start to the season, BBC Sport revealed exclusively that Amorim’s job, at least for the time being, is safe.