Man United Legend Furiously Rejects Enzo Maresca as Possible Ruben Amorim Replacement

Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has made it clear that he does NOT want to see Enzo Maresca appointed as the new head coach at Old Trafford.

United are in the market for a new boss after dismissing Ruben Amorim on Monday. Amorim was sacked after recording the lowest win percentage of any Man United boss since 1972.

The Portuguese was the second Premier League manager to lose their job in 2026, after Chelsea parted company with Maresca on New Year’s Day.

Maresca’s Chelsea record was not at all bad, especially when compared to Amorim’s at United. The Italian won 59.78% of his 92 games in charge and delivered two major trophies to Stamford Bridge.

In contrast, Amorim oversaw just 24 victories in 63 games as United boss — giving him a win-rate of 38.10%.

Enzo Maresca linked with Man United job

Maresca has been touted among the potential candidates to replace Amorim, but Butt would not welcome his appointment.

Manchester-born Butt, now 50, came through the youth ranks at United and went on to represent the first-team 387 times between 1992 and 2004. He won 15 trophies with the Red Devils, cementing his status as a club legend.

Meanwhile, Maresca has links to Manchester’s other major club, having managed City’s Elite Development Squad in the 2020/21 season, before later spending the 2022/23 campaign as one of Pep Guardiola’s assistants.

Nicky Butt vows to give away season ticket if Man United hire Maresca

Butt did not hold back when asked about the possibility of Maresca replacing Amorim at Old Trafford, despite admitting that he rates the Italian as a coach.

“If Maresca comes in — I like him as a coach, I really do — with the background, I would give my season tickets back,” Butt said on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast.

Butt went on to explain that his stance was not about results or coaching ability, but about identity and principle.

“You mis-read me,” he said following push-back from former teammate Paul Scholes. “I can’t sit here and go on about Man United philosophy and DNA and then go: ‘Well I’d love Maresca, an ex-Man City guy’.”

“Then you have Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox. I don’t care how much success is. You’re forgetting where I’m from. Everyone is a City fan. I’m a Man United fan and I can’t accept that.”

Berrada has been the chief executive officer of United since July 2024, but he previously worked for City for over a decade. Wilcox also spent more than 10 years of his career at City prior to becoming United’s director of football in April 2024.

Butt draws line over United identity

Butt’s comments reflect a wider concern among sections of the Old Trafford fanbase that the club risk drifting further away from its traditional identity in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

The former midfielder, who later returned to United as head of the academy, has previously spoken about the importance of preserving the club’s culture and values — something he feels is being tested amid another managerial search.

While Butt acknowledged Maresca’s coaching credentials, his objections centred on symbolism rather than substance, insisting that appointing a coach with such strong ties to Manchester City would be a step too far.

Chelsea move on with Liam Rosenior appointment

While Maresca continues to be linked with the vacancy at Old Trafford, Chelsea have already moved quickly to appoint his successor.

On Tuesday morning, Chelsea hired Liam Rosenior as their fifth ‘permanent’ head coach of the Todd Boehly era.

Rosenior’s credentials were recently endorsed by Wayne Rooney, who previously worked with him at Derby County.