United paid out £19.6m to get rid of Mourinho

Jose Mourinho’s sacking cost Manchester United just under £20million, according to the club’s latest financial results.

It means the overall termination cost of United managers since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 has soared to £33.2 million.

The payment for Mourinho and his staff was revealed in half-yearly accounts, with £19.6million attributed to “compensation to the former manager and certain members of the coaching staff for loss of office”. The backroom team included goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro, coaches Stefano Rapetti and Carlos Lalin, scout Ricardo Formosinho and analyst Giovanni Cerra.

Mourinho’s compensation was higher than that of predecessors Louis van Gaal and David Moyes. Van Gaal and his staff received £8.4 million when dismissed in 2016. Moyes and his coaches were paid £5.2 million in 2014.

United now must decide who will be their next permanent manager, with the public clamour increasing for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be given a long-term contract.

Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, said: “The appointment of Ole and Mike [Phelan] as caretaker manager and assistant manager has had a positive impact. We are delighted with the improvement in the team’s performances since December and we look forward to a strong finish to the season.”

Woodward was unwilling to comment on who might be in charge at the start of next season.

Solskjaer has won eight of nine Premier League games, leading United back into the Champions League qualifying positions and winning January’s manager of the month award. Tuesday’s defeat by Paris St-germain was his first since assuming charge, but United’s board will conduct a thorough review before determining who will fill the role for a new era. Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino is certain to be part of those considerations.

“I am not going to get into the manager,” said Woodward. “We communicated in December that Ole was coming in and what was happening. We won’t give any updates part way through a season.”