The curse continues! Former Bayern Munich star Matthijs de Ligt’s utterly bizarre streak goes on
After Michael Carrick's departure from Manchester United, former Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt is on course for yet another new manager.
Carrick's position had long been under threat, and United sacked him on Thursday. De Ligt will have a new manager at the start of his 12th professional season.
Throughout his career, de Ligt has never started consecutive seasons under the same coach. When he broke into Ajax Amsterdam's first team as a 17-year-old in 2016/17, Peter Bosz was in charge.
When Bosz moved to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017, de Ligt began his second professional season under Marcel Keizer. Keizer lasted only half a year before Erik ten Hag replaced him. De Ligt began 2018/19 under ten Hag.
De Ligt had three different coaches in three years at Juventus
Following his move to Juventus, the Dutchman worked with Maurizio Sarri for only a year. Juventus sacked Sarri after 2019/20 and replaced him with club icon Andrea Pirlo, who also lasted just 12 months.
Massimiliano Allegri coached de Ligt at Juventus at the start of 2021/22. Allegri stayed in Turin until 2024, but de Ligt left for Bayern Munich in 2022 for a €67 million transfer fee, with Julian Nagelsmann his new coach. After Nagelsmann's dismissal in spring 2023, Thomas Tuchel took over at Bayern, while de Ligt moved to Manchester United in 2024.
At United, de Ligt started under ten Hag, his former Ajax coach. United sacked ten Hag after a few months and brought in Ruben Amorim. De Ligt began 2025/26 under the Portuguese coach but finished it under Michael Carrick after Amorim's dismissal in early 2026.
Who will succeed Michael Carrick at Manchester United?
Carrick's dismissal means de Ligt will again start 2027/28 under a different manager from the one he had at the beginning of the previous campaign. According to media reports, Mauricio Pochettino is the firm favourite to succeed Carrick. United would probably have to pay an €8.6 million release clause to take the 54-year-old Argentinian from his role as USA national-team coach, with his contract running until 2030. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, is being discussed as Pochettino's successor with the USA.
With a prolonged back injury keeping him out, de Ligt has barely featured for United this season. The 27-year-old has made just two appearances in 2026/27, having returned in the 1-4 defeat in Como in the Champions League at the end of October after more than ten months on the sidelines. In almost two and a half years in Manchester, de Ligt has made a total of 58 appearances and scored three goals. His contract runs until 2029.
