RUBEN AMORIM held his first press conference since being confirmed as the new Manchester United manager on Friday night.
Strangely, though, that came after his current side Sporting smashed Estrela Amadora 5-1.
Amorim will take charge of two more matches as head coach in Portugal – against Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday and then his final game against former club Braga next Sunday.
Then Amorim officially replaces Erik ten Hag as the new permanent Red Devils boss on November 11 after United stumped up £9.2million to get him out of his Sporting contract.
And following Friday’s announcement of his imminent arrival at Old Trafford, Amorim was quizzed on his new job.
That included giving a host of very honest answers, including his January transfer plans.
Here’s what Amorim had to say…
“It was a very unusual week.
“Obviously, since this whole situation came about I’ve felt different. I understand the anger of some fans and the disappointment. But that’s life. I was moved by the ovation and that’s how it is.
“Even the other statement, when it came out, was on a match day. But clubs are now listed companies and they have to present all these things.
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS
“There were two statements. But that’s how things are, there are things that we can’t control. “
“I’m very grateful to the fans and to everything here. People think I wanted to leave straight away.
“In the next home game, whether we win or lose by 15-0, I’ll be there to see what the fans want to give me.
“I understand their anger, but we move on and time heals everything. It was the best period of my life.”
“At the beginning of the season, and the chairman is there to confirm it, I had a conversation with him and director of football Hugo Viana.
“I said that, whatever happened, it was my last season at Sporting. The president can confirm that.
“The season started and we started to have a very good season. United came along, paid the clause, above the clause, and the chairman defended his interests.
“I never discussed anything with the chairman.”
“The only request I made to United was that it would be at the end of the season and they told me that wasn’t possible, that it was now or never or Manchester would go for another option.
“So I had three days to decide on something that would radically change my life.”
“It’s not the first time that I’ve been requested and had my clause paid by another club. Nor the second. It’s very hard for me to leave.
“I don’t want another team.
WHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.
Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.
But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.
Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.
He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers.
The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.
And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.
Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.
Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.
United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”
And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.
For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.
“After Sporting I wanted that one, Manchester, and I want that context because that context allows me to do things my way and the club believes me that way.
“There’s a time when I have to take a step forward in my career. That’s what happened.
“It was harder for me than for any Sporting fan, believe me, but I had to do this.”
“There was no confusion at all. We have to safeguard everyone’s interests.
“Far from playing the victim, I’m sorry.
“I said I would stay for as many games as necessary. I didn’t say anything earlier because I couldn’t. That’s how the decision is.
“The club knew that if I rejected it, I wouldn’t have it in six months. And I knew that in six months I would know that I wouldn’t be at Sporting.
“The only club that I wanted and that moved me was United. It got to a point where I had to decide and I did.
“Now I’m going home much more relaxed because I have explained.
“People say ‘it’s about the money’, but there was another team that wanted to hire me before and they paid three times more than Manchester.”
“I have to do what Sporting decides. I prefer it that way.
“I don’t leave the players in the lurch.
“Against Nacional, I felt they were more anxious because I felt they didn’t know what to expect.
“I’m happy to stay and I won’t leave my players in the lurch.”
“As for United, I haven’t spoken to anyone, not even the players.
“I’m totally focused.
“On the 11th we will have the opportunity to talk about Manchester United. At the moment I am at Sporting.
“I wanted to explain all this to Sporting fans. The focus now is on Sporting. Then we will talk about Manchester United.
“I changed my mind several times. My concern is not to harm the Sporting team, we’ll see later. I’ll have that concern when I’m at United.”
“Viktor Gyokeres costs 100m and it’s very difficult.
“I’m not going to get any players from Sporting in January.
“I will take my staff with me. That was always one of my conditions. I brought them with me since Casa Pia.
“What does it mean to me? It was the best period of my life. Everyone at Sporting knows how important it was to me.
“I understand the disappointment of the fans and that leaving in the middle of a season that could be historic.
“But today is not the farewell, we still have two important games against City and Braga, to maintain our lead.”
