Ruben Amorim confirmed on Friday that Alejandro Garnacho will be treating his Manchester United teammates to dinner as an apology for his quick exit down the tunnel following his substitution during United’s 3-2 Premier League win over Ipswich.
The incident occurred after Patrick Dorgu’s red card, which led to a reshuffle that saw Garnacho, 20, replaced by defender Noussair Mazraoui just before halftime. The Argentine winger, visibly frustrated, immediately left the pitch and headed straight down the touchline, bypassing the bench.
Amorim, speaking ahead of United’s FA Cup fifth-round clash with Fulham on Sunday, revealed that Garnacho had taken the initiative to approach him the following morning. “He came to me in my office,” Amorim said. “I did some investigations, and he went to the dressing room to change his clothes because he was wet. He watched the rest of the game from a different spot, not the bench, and then went home. So, there was no issue.”
Amorim added that the incident was a learning experience for the young forward, highlighting the importance of maintaining good perceptions at a club like Manchester United. “I told him that in Manchester United everything is important, and the perception in a big club is really important. So, he’s going to pay for a dinner for the whole team, and that’s it,” the manager said.
Amorim emphasized that Garnacho’s actions were a result of youthful frustration, and he was glad the player came forward to discuss the situation. “He’s a young kid that will learn,” Amorim noted. “The important thing is that the next morning, he was speaking with me.”
The Portuguese manager also shared his views on the impact of social media on modern footballers, acknowledging how challenging it can be for players to handle criticism. “Before, it was just two newspapers and nothing more,” he explained. “Now with social media, it’s completely different. Players are so focused on it. You can read 100 positive things, but if there’s one bad comment, you focus on that.”
Amorim was also asked about recent comments made by former United captain Roy Keane regarding current club captain Bruno Fernandes. Keane criticized Fernandes’ leadership, claiming “talent is not enough” and describing him as “not a fighter” in an interview on The Overlap podcast.
Amorim, however, disagreed with Keane’s assessment, saying, “I have a different opinion. Bruno is really important for us in the club, especially for me. I know sometimes he does things as a captain, like with his arms or sometimes you see him criticising teammates. I think it’s mostly a lot of frustration from this year and the last year.”
Acknowledging that everyone is entitled to their opinion, Amorim added, “Roy Keane has big standards from his time, and it’s normal to have an opinion. But I think my opinion is more important because I am the coach, and I think Bruno is doing things quite well.”
As United aims to stay on track for silverware this season, Amorim’s leadership and approach to managing player dynamics will continue to play a pivotal role.
