Ruben Amorim's former assistant Adelio Candido has spoken out about the Portuguese boss' spell as Manchester United head coach
Steven Railston and Bruna Reis Senior Sports Journalist
12:11, 02 Mar 2026
Ruben Amorim
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Ruben Amorim left Man United after a 14-month spell in charge(Image: PA)
Ruben Amorim's former assistant coach reckons his methods were never "fully implemented" at Manchester United. Amorim got the boot in January following merely 14 months at the helm at Old Trafford.
Amorim arrived from Sporting Lisbon in November 2024. He presided over United's most disastrous campaign in 51 years and endured defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final.
In the Premier League, Amorim recorded the poorest win percentage (32%), the most goals shipped per match (1.53) and the fewest clean sheets (15%) of any United boss. Amorim was dismissed following a fiery post-Leeds United press conference at Elland Road, during which he suggested other club personnel should concentrate on their own responsibilities.
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Adelio Candido served as one of two assistants within Amorim's coaching team throughout his spell. The 29-year-old was a crucial member of Amorim's staff and conducted the pre-match warm-ups with players.
Speaking in an interview with The Ball, Candido was questioned about what he enjoyed most regarding his coaching stint at United, and what he found least appealing about the experience.
He replied: "Experience is always experience, whether the outcome is good or bad, we always come away with learning.
Adelio Candido
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Adelio Candido has spoken about Ruben Amorim's managerial spell at Man United
"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 system became a point of discussion throughout his spell at the club. He remained committed to his 3-4-3 setup and only adjusted the strategy following input from Jason Wilcox.
The 41-year-old's backroom team also came under the spotlight for lacking experience.
Candido was questioned whether being part of such a youthful coaching setup helped him manage the intense scrutiny and responded: "I think the fact that we were young helped us deal with the pressure.
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"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 handled 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."
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