Ruben Amorim's assistant coach, Adelio Candido, has spoken out about his time at Manchester United - and revealed his least favourite thing during his time at the club
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim left Man United in December after a 14‑month tenure(Image: PA)
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Ruben Amorim's ex-assistant coach claimed the manager's philosophy wasn't 'fully implemented' at Manchester United as he spoke for the first time since the Portuguese boss' axing. Amorim got the boot in January after just 14 months at the helm at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese boss arrived from Sporting Clube de Portugal in November 2024 and presided over United's bleakest campaign in 51 years. He failed to win a single trophy during his time with the club, suffering defeat against Tottenham in the Europa League final.
In the Premier League, Amorim recorded the poorest win percentage (32%), the worst goals shipped per match rate (1.53) and the lowest clean sheet percentage (15%) of any United boss. Amorim was dismissed following a dramatic post-Leeds United media briefing at Elland Road, during which he implied other personnel at the club ought to concentrate on their own responsibilities.
Adelio Candido served as one of two assistants on Amorim's coaching team throughout his spell. The 29-year-old proved to be a crucial staff member for Amorim and supervised the warm-ups with players ahead of matches.
In an interview with The Ball, Candido was questioned about what he enjoyed regarding his stint coaching at United and what he appreciated least about the experience.
He replied: "Experience is always experience, whether the outcome is good or bad, we always come away with learning.
Adelio Candido
Adelio Candido has spoken about Ruben Amorim's tenure at Man United
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"In Manchester, I really liked the city and the way the fans experience football, more focused on the project than on the immediate result.
"What I liked least was, without a doubt, feeling that our ideas weren't fully implemented."
Amorim's tactical system was a constant topic of discussion throughout his spell at the club. He remained committed to his 3-4-3 formation and only adjusted the approach following input from Jason Wilcox.
The 41-year-old's backroom team also came under scrutiny for their lack of experience.
Candido was questioned whether being part of such a youthful coaching staff helped him to handle intense pressure and said: "I think the fact that we were young helped us deal with the pressure.
"We always had a positive daily routine at work. With the existing pressure, it's normal for people to get more annoyed than usual in a technical team, and that wasn't the case for us."
Discussing how he dealt with criticism, Candido said: "Honestly, I don't follow opinions outside of my work group. Something always ends up coming through social media, but I really don't pay any attention to any of that."