'I can't accept that!' - Man Utd legend vows to 'give season tickets back' if ex-Premier League boss is hired to replace Ruben Amorim

The search for Amorim’s successor has plunged United into a fresh identity crisis, with the club linked to a host of high-profile names to salvage their 2025-26 campaign. However, reports suggesting that Maresca, fresh off of his sacking by Chelsea, is a leading candidate have sparked a fiery response from one of the club's most decorated sons.

Butt, who made nearly 400 appearances for the Red Devils and later served as the head of the academy, has drawn a definitive line in the sand. Speaking candidly about the potential appointment, the 50-year-old made it clear that while he respects Maresca's tactical acumen, the Italian's intrinsic links to Manchester City make him an unacceptable choice for a "proper" United fan.

"If Maresca comes in - I like him as a coach, I really do - with the background, I would give my season tickets back," Butt declared on The Good, The Bad and The Football, sending a stark warning to the INEOS-led ownership group.

For Butt, the objection is not based on ability, but on principle. Maresca, who learned his trade as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium before managing Leicester City and Chelsea, represents a footballing lineage that stands in direct opposition to United’s history.

The former midfielder argues that the club has already eroded too much of its soul by appointing former City executives to top positions. The arrival of Omar Berrada as CEO and Jason Wilcox as director of football was met with scepticism by some traditionalists, but appointing a manager cut from the same cloth would be the final straw.

When pressed by fellow former midfielder Paul Scholes on whether he was serious about boycotting the club he loves, Butt doubled down, emphasising the tribal nature of football in Manchester.

"You mis-read me. I can't sit here and go on about Man United philosophy and DNA and then go: 'Well I'd love Maresca, an ex-Man City guy'," Butt explained passionately. "Then you have Omar Berrarda and Jason Wilcox. I don't care how much success is. You're forgetting where I'm from. Everyone is a City fan. I'm a Man United fan and I can't accept that."

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Butt’s comments tap into a growing anxiety among the Old Trafford faithful that the club is trying to replicate their noisy neighbours rather than rediscovering their own identity. After a dismal 2024-25 campaign saw them miss out on European football altogether this term, United seem in a better position following the first half of the season. They sit sixth in the table and just three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool and will hope to find the correct replacement for Amorim to guide them back into the Champions League.

The vacancy at Old Trafford remains the hottest topic in football following the savage sacking of Ruben Amorim on Monday. The Portuguese coach was dismissed after less than two seasons, leaving the club in a precarious position and needing a clear direction. While various candidates are being assessed by the hierarchy, Maresca’s availability and tactical profile have kept him in the conversation.

However, the board must now weigh the tactical suitability of a candidate like Maresca against the potential backlash from the fanbase. If a club legend like Butt, who has served the club as a player, coach, and administrator, is willing to walk away over the appointment, it suggests the terraces might not be as welcoming to the Italian as the analytics department would hope.