Sporting confirm Manchester United's interest in Ruben Amorim as manager
Manchester United have expressed interest in appointing Sporting’s Ruben Amorim as new manager to replace Erik ten Hag and are prepared to pay the 10 million euros ($10.79 million) release clause, the Portuguese club said on Tuesday, October 29. The Premier League club are aggressively looking for a permanent replacement for the Dutchman and have expressed their interest in Amorim.
The club put out an official statement via their website, where it acknowledged that United have the option of triggering the release clause for the coach. “Manchester United FC expressed interest in hiring coach Ruben Amorim, with Sporting’s board of directors referring to the terms and conditions set out in the employment contract in force between the company and the coach, specifically the respective termination clause and for the amount of Euro 10,000,000,” the statement said.
WHO IS RUBEN AMORIM?
Amorim is the head coach of Sporting CP, a position he has held since March 2020. During his tenure, he has led the club to significant success, including two league titles in the 2020-21 and 2023-24 seasons, and three Taca da Liga (Portuguese League Cup) titles, two with Sporting and one with his previous club, Braga.
Before joining Sporting CP, Amorim managed Braga, where he started his managerial career in 2019. His success at both Braga and Sporting has made him one of the most sought-after young coaches in European football. Amorim was a professional footballer, playing as a midfielder for clubs including Benfica and the Portuguese national team. He retired as a player in 2017.
Amorim is known for his attractive brand of football and has been praised for restoring Sporting CP to the top of Portuguese football. He has been lauded by many, including being seen as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City due to his managerial style and achievements.
Amorim has expressed his pride in being the head coach of Sporting CP but has said that it is indeed a matter of pride if a big club like Manchester United call for him.
ERIK TEN HAG’S FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE
Fired Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believed capturing a trophy would have made this season a success, saying the team was better than their lowly 14th place in the Premier League standings.
Ten Hag was sacked on Monday after the team’s wretched start to the season, but less than 24 hours before he was shown the door he conducted a pre-match press conference in London ahead of Wednesday’s League Cup tie against Leicester City — a game he will now have no part in.
“We have to do better, that is the ranking. But I will tell (the players) the ranking is not reflecting our performances and our levels,” the 54-year-old had said on Sunday night. “But at the end of the season we have to get this right.”
That task now falls on interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, who will be in charge for the first time on Wednesday.
British media reported that Ruben Amorim is the front-runner to replace Ten Hag, with the Old Trafford club said to be in advanced talks with the 39-year-old Sporting manager.
Managers traditionally hold press conferences on the eve of games, but because of the travel and short turnaround between Sunday’s 2-1 away loss to West Ham United and Wednesday’s League Cup tie, Ten Hag was tasked with previewing the Leicester clash.
The quotes and footage from that part of the press conference were not permitted to be printed or broadcast until Tuesday afternoon.
Ten Hag had been asked whether winning a trophy would make the season a success.
“Definitely,” he said. “It is about trophies. There are not so many trophies you can win, if you win a trophy in top football, that is the most important, that is what the fans expect, what we expect – to win a trophy.
“We have had five opportunities and one we missed, that was the Community Shield. There are still four to go.”
United’s shock win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final in June was the one bright spot in a season where they finished a worst-ever eighth in the Premier League and likely bought Ten Hag more time in the job.
But the team have shown no improvement this season.
“It is not easy when you have so many setbacks at the start of the season and to overcome this, but we have to fight back. It will always help when you have a good start because that gives motivation, gives belief, the confidence will grow,” Ten Hag said.
“We are now in the process on the other side where we are disappointed and we have to deal with setbacks and now we have to find the fuel from setbacks and disappointments.”
