Manchester United have now confirmed that club legend turned coach Ruud van Nistelrooy has left Old Trafford following the arrival of new head manager Rúben Amorim.
van Nistelrooy was placed in charge of the Red Devils on an interim basis following the sacking of Erik ten Hag last month and it was left unclear as to whether he would stay at the Theatre of Dreams once the former Sporting CP boss was appointed.
Having flown in from Portugal for his first day on the job, Amorim has already been filmed taking a tour around Carrington and not long after the first images of him in Manchester were shared online, the club made their announcement.
Following early reports by The Athletic‘s Laurie Whitwell, Man United have now detailed that the 48-year-old and three other Dutch first-team coaches brought in during ten Hag’s tenure have now officially departed as they prepare for yet another backroom rebuild.
Ruud van Nistelrooy and three first-team coaches have departed the club with our best wishes for the future.
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to United ❤️#MUFC
Writing in an official statement on Monday, 11 November, the club said: “Manchester United can confirm that Ruud van Nistelrooy has left the club. Ruud rejoined in the summer and has taken charge of the team for the past four matches as interim head coach. Ruud is, and always will be, a Man United legend.
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“We are grateful for his contribution and the way in which he has approached his role throughout his time with the club. He will always be very welcome at Old Trafford.
“Rene Hake, Jelle ten Rouwelaar and Pieter Morel have also departed and we wish them all well for the future. We will confirm the full men’s first team coaching composition in due course.”
As for the man himself, Ruud already bid goodbye to the club, thanking the fans for making it a special return, calling it a “great honour”.
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He was only the temporary gaffer for a very short spell but managed to notch 5-2 and 3-0 wins over Leicester in the EFL Cup and Premier League, grab the Reds first win in the Europa League this season and earn them four points in the table.
The retired striker had already made a promising start to life as a full-time first-team manager at PSV before returning to United and only left due to disagreements with the administration, so it’s fair to say the chances of him lining up a new role are pretty likely.
Meanwhile, Amorim has already made it clear that he arrives at United with a plan and “structure” in mind – the suggestion being that he will implement his trusted 3-4-3 formation – but is remaining otherwise tight-lipped.
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As reiterated by the club, it’s still uncertain whether any of his coaching staff at Sporting will be joining him or, indeed, if he will be trying to recruit any of his now-ex players come the January transfer window.
One thing is for sure though: he has a lot of work to do.
🗣️ Ruben Amorim here on his plans to hit the ground running at Manchester United + conversation with Ruud van Nistelrooy tomorrow about his future at #MUFC
Manchester City’s alleged charges have been increased to 130
Danny Jones
Manchester City’s hearing over their 115 alleged breaches of FFP (financial fair play) has ended and the outcome is that their charges have now been increased to 130.
Not exactly what Blues will want to hear.
The hearing officially concluded last Friday, 6 December after a 12-week process to determine whether they broke Premier League regulations regarding PSR (profit and sustainability), with accusations initially spanning a nine-year period.
However, rather than making any progress when it comes to clearing their record, it looks as though the opposite has happened.
Man City are now alleged to have committed 130 breaches of Premier League rules with both parties still able to enter an official appeal.
The hearing was held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre near St Paul’s in London, kicking off in September before coming to a close on Friday, 6 December.
Fans will no doubt have been hoping for and maybe even expecting a much more positive update, especially after having been successful in their recent case against the division regarding sponsorship deals and Associated Party Transactions (APT).
As well as the number of alleged breaches having risen to 130, the period of offence is also now said to have been extended, jumping from just under a decade to a total of 14 years.
The Times writer Martyn Ziegler says the club could quietly learn of their fate as soon as next month and even though a final decision still isn’t expected until spring 2025, should either side appeal the final outcome, this will likely draw out proceedings for several more months.
Man City’s charges have gone from 115 to 130. (Credit: The Manc Group)
For context, City still deny all of the claims laid against them, which include failing to provide accurate financial information for as many as nine seasons, full details of players’ wages, hiding the true figure former manager Roberto Mancini was paid for her service, as well as failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation and UEFA’s FFP rules.
The club were slapped with a two-year European ban back in 2020 and have been fined by the European footballing body previously, but that ban was ultimately dropped and even their most recent financial punishment was dropped from £30 million to just £10m – chump change given their spending power.
It still remains unclear what exactly will happen to the reigning English champions if they are found guilty but with Pep Guardiola’s also struggling for form of late, having lost five games in a row for the first time in the Catalan’s career, those inside the Etihad could do with some good news.
The blue moon that has loomed over Manchester in recent years is looking a little lost behind the clouds at the minute.
Five Manchester City players have been named in the 2024 FIFPRO World 11 teams
Danny Jones
A total of five Manchester City players have been selected for the 2024 FIFPRO World 11 across the mens and women’s teams.
Notching the second most votes of any other team on this year’s roster, beaten only by Real Madrid with seven), Man City fans can round off another unbelievable year of achievements with one last round of accolades.
Earning a spot on the FIFPRO World 11 is arguably one of the most coveted forms of recognition a footballer can ever hope for, as the dream team is voted for by more than 28,000 players from 70 different countries.
As for which City stars they believe are among the best players in the world, four of Pep Guardiola’s side found themselves in the squad and just one player from Gareth Taylor’s team.
The peer-to-peer voting covered the period between August 20, 2023 and July 14, 2024 (Euro 2024 final) and featured players representing eight different clubs and hailing from 10 different nations.
As you can see, the Blues given the nod as part of the Men’s FIFPRO World 11 don’t come as too much of a surprise: Ballon d’Or winner Rodri was always going to be a shoe-in, as was his midfield partner and arguably the best in the world, Kevin De Bruyne.
Goalkeeper Ederson was also a pretty comfortable choice along with multi-record-breaking goalscorer Erling Haaland, all of whom followed a historic treble-winning season with a fourth Premier League title in a row – a feat never achieved before by any other English team.
With players given a larger list of 250 shortlisted talents to vote on, breaking it down into just 11 players is no easy task. The only other player from the divison who managed to get their name on the list was Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and England star Jude Bellingham notched more votes than anyone with 11,176.
As for the Women’s FIFPRO World 11, it England defender Alex Greenwood was the only Man City representative in the combined XI for 2024, though former players Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze also made it on to the list for Barcelona, with the latter making it a record seventh appearance.
Other Lionesses and Women’s Super League players chosen included former Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps (now playing at PSG) and Chelsea winger Lauren James.
To have not only multiple English players but so many with Greater Manchester ties getting the shout is an honour and testaement to the region remaining a vital hub for sport. Smashed it.
What do you make of this year’s FIFPRO World 11 and do you think they missed out anyone particular?
Danny Jones -
11th November 2024 
