Sports
Who will be Man United’s next manager? 12 top candidates to replace Amorim
Manchester United are searching for their seventh new manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 following Monday’s dismissal of Ruben Amorim. Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher will take charge of the team on an interim basis for Wednesday’s Premier League trip to Burnley and the FA Cup third-round tie at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. But sources told ESPN that United have yet to decide whether to make a permanent appointment quickly or wait until the summer, when an array of big-name coaches could become available after the FIFA World Cup.
Who are the likeliest candidates to be the next manager at Old Trafford? Here are the two short lists that United could be working off: one for an immediate hire, and one if they choose to wait until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Immediate candidates
Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace coach is out of contract at Selhurst Park at the end of this season and has yet to negotiate a new deal. Glasner’s stock is rising rapidly after winning the FA Cup last season and taking Palace into the UEFA Conference League. He also won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, so has proved himself as a trophy winner in his last two jobs.
The 51-year-old favors a three-man defense, like Amorim, so if United want to continue that model, he would be a good fit. He’s also likely to be available now due to his contract situation.
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Who could become Amorim’s successor at Manchester United?
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens assess the managerial options available for Manchester United after sacking Ruben Amorim.
Kieran McKenna, Ipswich Town
The 39-year-old has guided Ipswich Town to two promotions and was interviewed for the Chelsea job in 2024 before former coach Enzo Maresca’s appointment. Having worked at United as part of Jose Mourinho’s and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching teams, McKenna has knowledge of many of the existing players and youth prospects at Old Trafford.
Ipswich are pushing for promotion back to the Premier League this season, but United would likely be too big a job for McKenna to turn down if they come calling.
Gareth Southgate, unemployed
The former England manager has been out of the game since stepping down from his Three Lions role after Euro 2024. The 55-year-old has shown no inclination to return to management since, but after guiding England to two Euro finals and the 2018 World Cup semifinal, he has admirers at Old Trafford.
Southgate is available and therefore would not involve a compensation fee; if he is interested, he would be an immediate contender.
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– Dawson: The inside story of why Man United sacked Ruben Amorim
Xavi, unemployed
The former Barcelona coach guided Barca to the 2022-23 LaLiga title during a three-year stint at Camp Nou, but he has been out of work since leaving the club at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Xavi, 45, is keen to work in the Premier League, and his availability would make him an attractive candidate. But with his lack of experience against Premier League opponents and managing the fixture workload, Xavi might have too many negatives for United to accept considering their past two appointments — Amorim and Erik ten Hag — struggled to adjust to the demands of the English top flight.
Michael Carrick, unemployed
Carrick has had one previous spell at interim manager at United, taking charge of three games in 2021 following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The 44-year-old has since had a three-year spell managing Middlesbrough in the EFL Championship.
Having left Boro at the end of last season, Carrick hasn’t yet shown a desire to return to management, but his knowledge of the United squad and the club would mark him out as a safe pair of hands to guide the team until the summer before handing over to a permanent appointment.
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Were Manchester United right to sack Ruben Amorim?
Mark Ogden reacts to Manchester United sacking Ruben Amorim after 14 months at the club.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, unemployed
Solskjaer remains a hugely popular figure among the United fan base after his feats as a player in Ferguson’s treble-winning 1998-99 team, but he also won admirers for overseeing an attacking style in his three years in charge as manager from 2018 to 2021.
United finished as 2020-21 Premier League runners-up under Solskjaer, but the team lacked defensive solidity and he exited in November 2021 after a series of heavy defeats, including a 5-0 loss at Old Trafford to Liverpool. Solskjaer most recently was in charge of Turkish club Besiktas, but after leaving them in August, he is available for an unlikely return to United.
Enzo Maresca, unemployed
Maresca is out of work after leaving Chelsea last week. In his 18-month stint at Stamford Bridge, he delivered success in the Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup. His availability would make him an obvious candidate, and Maresca also worked closely with United CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox when all three men were employed by Manchester City. But Maresca’s philosophy of a possession-based game might not work with the squad of players at United.
Summer candidates
Thomas Tuchel, England
The England manager spoke to United about succeeding ten Hag in summer 2024 before opting against a return to club management. With his Three Lions contract due to expire after the World Cup, he would be potential summer hire.
Tuchel, 52, ticks every box for United — he won the Champions League with Chelsea and has also managed Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. However, his reputation for being outspoken and challenging his bosses could lead to fireworks behind the scenes.
Mauricio Pochettino, United States
The U.S. coach is under contract until after the World Cup, but sources told ESPN that the 53-year-old will be open to a return to club management when his international commitments come to an end.
United have considered Pochettino three times over the past 10 years, and he was on a two-man short list with ten Hag in 2022 before missing out to the former Ajax coach. With his Premier League credentials and his experience at big clubs such as PSG, Chelsea and Spurs, Pochettino would be a good fit for United.
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Laurens: Ruben Amorim’s Man United departure was not a surprise
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Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil
The 66-year-old is contracted to coach Brazil until after the World Cup, but if United want an experienced coach with a stellar track record, Ancelotti is the obvious candidate.
A multiple Champions League winner with AC Milan and Real Madrid with further big club experience at Bayern Munich, Juventus, PSG, Napoli and Chelsea, Ancelotti also worked in more constrained circumstances at Everton. He would command big wages and would expect United to sign better players, but with him at the helm, the club would become more attractive to potential signings.
Julian Naglesmann, Germany
The Germany coach is under contract until Euro 2028, but his future could depend on the outcome of his team’s World Cup campaign.
Still only 38, Nagelsmann has rebuilt his reputation in the Germany job after his turbulent 18-month spell at Bayern Munich ended with him being fired in 2023. Earlier success at TSG Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig made Nagelsmann one of Europe’s most sought-after coaches, and his stock remains high within the game.
Andoni Iraola, AFC Bournemouth
The Bournemouth coach has earned praise for his work at the Vitality Stadium, turning the Cherries into a team that consistently overperforms its budget.
Whether his high-energy style would work with the existing United squad is a question mark. However, as a coach with proven Premier League experience, Iraola will be under consideration at United.
Sports
Law firm fighting for women’s sports in SCOTUS battle comments on ruling possibly impacting SJSU trans lawsuit
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A law firm leading the charge in the ongoing Supreme Court case over trans athletes in women’s sports has responded after a federal judge suggested the case’s ruling could impact a separate case involving a similar issue.
Colorado District Judge Kato Crews deferred ruling in motions to dismiss former San Jose State volleyball co-captain Brooke Slusser’s lawsuit against the California State University (CSU) system until after a ruling in the B.P.J. v. West Virginia Supreme Court case, which is expected to come in June.
Slusser filed the lawsuit against representatives of her school and the Mountain West Conference in fall 2024 after she allegedly was made to share bedrooms and changing spaces with trans teammate Blaire Fleming for a whole season without being informed that Fleming is a biological male.
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Meanwhile, the B.P.J. case went to the Supreme Court after a trans teen sued West Virginia to block the state’s law that prevents males from competing in girls’ high school sports.
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is the primary law firm defending West Virginia in that case at the Supreme Court, and has now responded to news that Slusser’s lawsuit could be affected by the SCOTUS ruling.
“We hope the ruling from the Supreme Court will affirm that Title IX was designed to guarantee equal opportunity for women, not to let male athletes displace women and girl in competition. It is crucial that sports be separated by sex for not only the equal opportunity of women but for safety and privacy. Title IX should protect women’s right to compete in their own sports. Allowing men to compete in the female category reverses 50 years of advancement for women,” ADF Vice President of Litigation Strategies Jonathan Scruggs said.
Slusser’s attorney, Bill Bock of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, expects a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the legal defense representing West Virginia, thus helping his case.
(Left) Brooke Slusser (10) of the San Jose State Spartans serves the ball during the first set against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Oct. 19, 2024. (Right) Blaire Fleming #3 of the San Jose State Spartans looks on during the third set against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. ( Andrew Wevers/Getty Images; Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
“We’re looking forward to the case going forward,” Bock told Fox News Digital.
“I believe that the court is going to find that Title IX operates on the basis of biological sex, without regard to an assumed or professed gender, and so just like the congress and the members of congress that passed Title IX in 1972, allowed this specifically provided for in the regulations that there had to be separate men’s and women’s teams based on biological sex, I think the court is going to see that is the original meaning of the statute and apply it in that way, and I think it’s going to be a big win in women’s sports.”
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared prepared to rule in favor of West Virginia after oral arguments on Jan. 13.
Slusser spoke on the steps of the Supreme Court on Jan. 13 while oral arguments took place inside, sharing her experience with a divided crowd of opposing protesters.
With Fleming on its roster, SJSU reached the 2024 conference final by virtue of a forfeit by Boise State in the semifinal round. SJSU lost in the final to Colorado State.
Slusser went on to develop an eating disorder due to the anxiety and trauma from the scandal and dropped out of her classes the following semester. The eating disorder became so severe, that Slusser said she lost her menstrual cycle for nine months. Her decision to drop her classes resulted in the loss of her scholarship, and her parents said they had to foot the bill out of pocket for an unfinished final semester of college.
President Donald Trump’s Department of Education determined in January that SJSU violated Title IX in its handling of the situation involving Fleming, and has given the university an ultimatum to agree to a series of resolutions or face a referral to the Department of Justice.
Among the department’s findings, it determined that a female athlete discovered that the trans student allegedly conspired to have a member of an opposing team spike her in the face during a match. ED claims that “SJSU did not investigate the conspiracy, but later subjected the female athlete to a Title IX complaint for ‘misgendering’ the male athlete in online videos and interviews.”
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SJSU trans player Blaire Fleming and teammate Brooke Slusser went to a magic show and had Thanksgiving together in Las Vegas despite an ongoing lawsuit over Fleming being transgender. (Thien-An Truong/San Jose State Athletics)
SJSU Athletic Director Jeff Konya told Fox News Digital in a July interview that he was satisfied with how the university handled the situation involving Fleming.
“I think everybody acted in the best possible way they could, given the circumstances,” Konya said.
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The University of Michigan has not renewed the contract of the female football staffer who was suspected to have been in a relationship with fired coach Sherrone Moore.
A university spokesperson confirmed the departure to Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
“Her contract expired and was not renewed,” the spokesperson said.
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Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, second from right, walks with his wife, Kelli Moore, left, and his attorney, Ellen K. Michaels, right, towards the courtroom, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
Moore allegedly maintained an inappropriate, years-long relationship with the staffer, despite him being married with multiple children.
Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital revealed allegations made by the staffer’s attorney, Heidi Sharp, on the day that Moore allegedly entered her home without permission, which later resulted in his arrest.
Det. Jessica Welker of the Pittsfield Township Police Department testified in court that the staffer called Sharp after Moore entered the residence and refused to leave. Sharp then told emergency dispatch that Moore was inside of her client’s home “attacking her.”
The woman accused Moore of continuing to approach her until she was able to get her attorney on the phone, at which point he “immediately backed up and turned the knives on himself, pointing them at his neck, saying that he was going to kill himself and that she was going to watch.”
Then-Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore looks on during the college football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on Oct. 19, 2024, at Memorial Stadium, in Champaign, Illinois. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Moore then left the staffer’s residence and was later taken into custody by law enforcement, where he denied physically attacking the staffer.
The staffer, whose LinkedIn profile listed her as an Executive Assistant to the Head Football Coach at the University of Michigan, earned just over $58,000 in 2023 and 2024, according to public payroll information. In the 2025 fiscal year, though, her salary jumped to $99,000, according to a salary disclosure report from the University of Michigan.
That’s a 70.62 percent increase year-over-year — even higher than the figure circulating social media right now, via UMSalary.info.
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Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, center, appears in the courtroom, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
Moore, who faces felony home invasion, stalking and illegal entry charges, scored a legal victory last month when a judge granted a request for a hearing to learn more about the investigation that led to criminal charges against him.
Judge J. Cedric Simpson, who is presiding, expressed concern that a police detective didn’t disclose Moore’s employer-employee relationship with the woman when a magistrate authorized a warrant for his arrest. Simpson described it as a “glaring omission.”
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Aaron Rodgers made clear on Wednesday that he has no plans to live a “public life” with his mystery wife, citing immense media scrutiny on his past relationships with high-profile women.
The NFL star previously dated actresses Olivia Munn and Shailene Woodley and former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. Rodgers and Woodley were engaged in 2021, but called off their wedding plans in 2022 and later broke up.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) reacts on the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 26, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
Rodgers lambasted his previous girlfriends during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” though he didn’t mention any of them by name. He said when he first met his wife, she didn’t want to date an athlete and moved back overseas.
“I got myself into crazy town, and I was with individuals who called the paparazzi, who leaked or talked about where I was living, who coerced me to make the proverbial Instagram, social media posts,” he said. “I never really wanted to live a public life. If you look at the saga with my family, for years it was one-sided. They were making shots in the media saying bulls—. I never said anything until it got to the point that, all right, enough is enough. … I’m not a social media guy anymore.”
“The narratives have gotten a little bit ridiculous,” he continued. “To some of those, I just want to say, just f—ing move on. It’s been years and years and years. I’ve dealt with clinically bipolar depressed relevance seeking, I dealt with people that wanted to search out other possibilities before they could commit to me, and then they go on TV talking about how I ruined their lives and all this s—.
“And I just want to say, move on with your life. Stop lying about me. Just move on with your life and be happy. It’s not just them, but it’s other people in the media that there’s this relevance they feel that they have to mention my name. I’m not seeking relevance. I’m not seeking attention.”
Aaron Rodgers previously dated actresses Olivia Munn and Shailene Woodley and ex-NASCAR driver Danica Patrick (not pictured). (Getty Images)
Rodgers added that, when his playing career is done, “you won’t see me.”
“I’m not doing TV … I’m not going to be out and about.”
The four-time MVP also pushed back on those seeking to figure out who his wife is, calling the issue “very strange.” He said earlier in the interview that the media frenzy caused him to move out of his Malibu, California, home.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) runs off the field after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium on Dec. 15, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
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Rodgers has only said that his wife’s name is Brittani. The two started dating in December 2024, and they were married at some point in 2025. He said she’s a person who doesn’t want to be in the public spotlight and is happy with the possibility of leaving public life as well.
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