By Adegboyega Adeleye
The year 2026 started dramatically in the world of football, with top managerial replacements in the English Premier League by Chelsea and Manchester United. This comes in the aftermath of similar explosive, vociferous, and provocative statements made by the team managers against their respective club hierarchies.
However, lovers of football history are aware that this is not a recent trend. It is an unspoken rule in football administration for managers to get the marching orders whenever they dare the consequences of publicly criticising the club management for not being fully backed from media criticism, poor run of results, unfavourable transfer decisions, and many more.
Managers or head coaches are usually known to be fiery and assertive in speech, but many also learn where to draw the line. A public show of disapproval with provocative comments indicates a strain in the relationship between the employer (the owner/board) and employee (manager), as such comments often indicate a breakdown in the working relationship and club alignment.
This article highlights five prominent managers who lost their jobs following public fallouts with the club hierarchy.
Antonio Conte- Tottenham
Antonio Conte was sacked as head coach of Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 after a public rant, where he criticised the club’s ownership and culture, and also slammed his players as “selfish” after their 3-3 draw with Southampton.
He departed the North London side after 16 months in charge following an explosive rant against his players after they threw away a 3-1 lead at rock-bottom Southampton in March 2023.
Conte, whose contract was set to expire at the end of that season, said in an interview after the 3-3 draw: “I’m not used to seeing this type of situation. I see a lot of selfish players, and I don’t see a team.”
He added in his post-match press conference: “We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [in].”
He continued: “Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important. “They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress. It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something – but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here.”
Conte, in an attempt to speak his truth about the lack of a winning mentality, made comments that were not fine by Daniel Levy. His comments created an untenable situation, leading to his departure.
Nuno Espirito Santo- Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espirito Santo was fired as the manager of Nottingham Forest in September 2025 after publicly speaking out against the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis. This repeated public criticism led to a swift termination of his contract early in the season, despite Nuno guiding the team to Europe the previous season.
He also spoke against the club’s unbalanced squad and transfer strategy, which soured their relationship and led to Marinakis making the decision to replace him just three games into the new season. Nuno also had similar disagreements with the new Global Head of Football, Edu. Internal tensions at the club were believed to centre around disagreements over their transfer business.
Previously, Nuno had criticised the club’s activity in the summer transfer window, saying they had wasted a good chance.
In his pre-match interviews before the opening game of the season – which Forest won 3-0 – Nuno was openly critical of the senior figures at Forest overseeing their transfer strategy, saying his squad was “unbalanced” and “very, very far” from being ready for the new season.
Scott Parker- Bournemouth
Scott Parker was sacked by Bournemouth owner Maxim Demin in August 2022 after losing 9-0 to Liverpool, and after the loss, he said he was “not surprised” and said the team was “ill-equipped at this level.”
Parker’s sack came after repeatedly airing the club’s failures in public. His frustration with the club’s transfer policy and perceived lack of investment was openly criticised, leading to a statement from Demin that emphasised the need for alignment and respect within the club.
He was left rocked by the 9-0 result at Anfield, calling his team “underequipped” in order to compete at the Premier League level.
Enzo Marseca- Chelsea
Enzo Maresca left Chelsea on January 1st after 18 months in charge following a prolonged series of disagreements with the medical staff, and informed the club of interest from two rival clubs in recent months.
Maresca, who led the club to win the Conference League and the Club World Cup, left after a breakdown in relations with the club and a run of disappointing results.
The Italian manager’s comment regarding the “worst 48 hours” was the starting point of the saga that ultimately led to his dismissal.
After the 2-0 home victory over Everton in mid-December, Maresca shocked reporters and even members of his own staff by saying he had endured his “worst 48 hours” at the club and said “many people didn’t support us.” However, the head coach declined several opportunities to expand on his comments.
The Italian decided to step down from his role as Chelsea head coach on New Year’s Day because he felt his position was untenable, while it has been revealed that his cryptic criticism earlier this month was directed at the club’s medical team.
Consequently, this led to troubles that unsettled the club with the manager’s recent statement claiming that he was feeling a lack of support.
The club were already considering sacking Maresca due to poor results, his comments in the media, disagreements with the medical team and reports linking him with other clubs, but results on the field further heightened pressure as an inconsistent league form saw the club slip out of the top-four race, while tensions reportedly grew with the board and medical staff over player fitness.
With only eight league wins this season, Chelsea has become a lot different from the team that lifted the FIFA Club World Cup last year, and a change became imminent.
Ruben Amorim- Manchester United
The latest is Ruben Amorim, whose 14-month tenure as Manchester United manager ended on Monday after he made “bombshell” comments, calling on the hierarchy to “do their job” in the transfer market and insisting he was the “manager,” not just a “head coach”.
Amorim’s exit comes on the heels of a turbulent weekend that saw him clash with the media before and after Sunday’s draw with Leeds United at Elland Road as the public criticism exposed a power struggle over transfer policy and contributed to his immediate dismissal in January 2026.
His ’emotional and inconsistent behaviour’ was a key factor in the decision, and a refusal to adapt and evolve his preferred 3-4-3 system led to a breakdown in confidence in the head coach.
At Manchester United, Amorim’s insistence on a 3-4-3 formation rarely worked. He also criticised the club’s recruitment strategy, making it clear he saw himself as a manager, not just a head coach, and felt frustrated by a lack of support in the transfer market.
Reports in recent weeks had pointed to a growing friction between Amorim and Jason Wilcox, with Amorim said to be dissatisfied over unfulfilled transfer assurances. Those tensions obviously played a huge role in the club’s final decision.
In a statement on Monday, the club said, “With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish.”
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