What did Amorim say about the controversies surrounding Mainoo?

At the press conference before the Round 17 Premier League clash with Aston Villa, Manchester United’s manager Ruben Amorim clarified the reasons for Mainoo being a substitute, amid the stir caused by his half-brother.

Under the management of Ruben Amorim, Kobbie Mainoo is going through the most turbulent period since his promotion to Manchester United’s first team. Once a promising talent from the Carrington academy and a starter in the EURO 2024 final with England, Mainoo now frequently begins matches on the bench. The situation escalated when Mainoo’s half-brother appeared in the stands at Old Trafford with a “rescue Mainoo” message, sparking widespread public reaction and raising serious questions about the new Manchester United coach’s player selection decisions.

During the press conference ahead of the Round 17 match against Aston Villa in the Premier League, the Portuguese coach was directly questioned: “Why hasn’t Mainoo spoken out to clarify that his relative’s statements are unrelated to him?”. Facing doubts about the 20-year-old player’s character and initiative, Amorim gave a straightforward response to defend Manchester United’s young talent:

“Mainoo is a shy boy, and that is not his responsibility. Kobbie is only accountable for his own actions, and his action was performing well in the last match, so that’s what I focus on. I once had a situation at Sporting where my brother posted something online and I had to respond. My explanation then was: he has his own life, his own views, and that’s not related to me. I will take the same stance with Mainoo.”

At the same time, Amorim rejected the notion that he benches Mainoo as a form of ‘intimidation’ or anything similar:

“People are misunderstanding me. I never meant to say: ‘Kobbie, you’re a big player, so I bench you to prove something.’ No. What I said is completely the opposite. Sometimes I don’t field Kobbie simply because I believe he’s not the right player to start that particular match. Maybe next match, on Sunday, he will start.

If Kobbie plays well, he will show everyone that no one can push him out of the lineup, and I will be very happy about that. I don’t want to prove anything to anyone. I’m just trying to win matches and show players that: if you do the right things, you will play, no matter who you are.”

Manchester United is about to face a major challenge when they meet Aston Villa in Round 17 of the 2025/26 Premier League. Unai Emery’s team is flying high in 3rd place and is considered one of the toughest opponents. This might be a crucial moment for Amorim to decide Mainoo’s future: to keep him on the bench or to give the young midfielder a chance to prove his worth. Whatever the decision, Mainoo’s future under Amorim will remain a topic of much discussion going forward.