Football has always been ruthless, but this season has pushed things to a new level. In what feels like a wave rather than isolated decisions, three high-profile managers – Rúben Amorim, Enzo Maresca, and Xabi Alonso – have all lost their jobs in a short space of time.
These are not struggling, unknown coaches. They are some of the most highly rated modern managers in the game. Yet they still didn’t survive.
And that tells you everything about the state of modern football.
Why so many managers are being sacked
The idea of a “project” has quietly disappeared from top-level football. Clubs still use the word, but the reality is different. Owners, fans, and sponsors expect results immediately. When performances dip, there is no appetite for patience. There is only pressure.
Sacking the manager has become the fastest way to:
- calm angry fans
- protect the board
- show that “something is being done”
Whether it actually fixes the problem is almost secondary.
Ruben Amorim: when structure meets impatience
Amorim built his reputation on tactical discipline, pressing systems and clear identity. When Manchester United hired him, it was meant to be a long-term reset.
Instead, a run of uneven results, mixed performances, and growing tension behind the scenes meant his time ended quickly. In modern football, once confidence is lost, it rarely returns.
United didn’t just change a coach – they restarted another rebuild.
Enzo Maresca: The Chelsea problem repeats itself
Chelsea have become the perfect example of football’s short memory. Maresca came in with a clear idea of how he wanted his team to play, but results did not move fast enough to match expectations.
Behind the scenes, reports of frustration and misalignment with the club’s direction began to grow. When that happens at a club like Chelsea, time runs out fast.
His departure was not just about points on the table — it was about trust.
Xabi Alonso: even elite pedigree isn’t protection
Xabi Alonso’s exit at Real Madrid shocked many people. He is one of the most respected young coaches in Europe, with a deep understanding of the game and a calm authority.
But Real Madrid does not wait. If performances drop or the dressing room loses belief, decisions are made. History, reputation, and long-term ideas mean very little when the pressure of winning is constant.
At the very top, you either deliver now — or you leave.
What all three sackings have in common
These situations look different on the surface, but they share the same root:
Football no longer allows time.
- Big squads cost too much to fail
- Missing Champions League football is too expensive
- Relegation battles are too dangerous
So the manager becomes the shock absorber. Not because he is always the problem, but because he is the easiest thing to change.
Who could be next?
If this season has taught us anything, it is that no job at a big club is safe. The next manager to go is likely to be someone:
- under pressure from fans
- working with an expensive squad
- delivering results that don’t match expectations
It won’t be a nobody. It will be another name people recognise.
That is the pattern now.
Also Read: Manchester United Part Ways with Ruben Amorim
Football’s new normal
The sacking of Amorim, Maresca, and Alonso isn’t just about three men losing their jobs. It’s about a sport that has become addicted to instant success.
Managers are no longer judged on what they are building. They are judged on what happened in the last three weeks.
Until that changes, this cycle will continue, and the list of fallen coaches will only grow.