Ruben Amorim established himself as one of the most sought-after young coaches in world football at Sporting Lisbon but his challenge at Manchester United is of a different magnitude.
The Portuguese coach, who won two league titles at Sporting, quickly emerged as the favourite to succeed the sacked Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford. He will follow the path from Portugal to the Premier League taken a generation ago by Jose Mourinho, then the shining young managerial star, who swapped Porto for Chelsea, naming himself the “Special One”.
But Amorim will be expected to do something that even Mourinho did not manage during his subsequent stint at United – win the club’s first Premier League title since the trophy-filled days of Alex Ferguson. And he must hit the ground running. United are languishing in 14th place in the English top flight after just three wins in their opening nine games this season.
A challenge for Manchester City’s title already appears out of the question but United chiefs will be desperate to push for a top-four position, which will bring Champions League football back to Old Trafford. Amorim is 39, two years younger than Mourinho was when he took over a Chelsea side that won two Premier League titles in his first two seasons at the helm.
Other coaches have come from Portugal with big reputations but not all have succeeded. Andre Villas-Boas failed to live up to expectations after swapping Porto for Chelsea in 2011. But everything about Amorim, who was also linked to the manager’s job at Liverpool this year, suggests he could be something special.
The Lisbon-born boss was a hard-working midfielder who spent the bulk of his playing career at Benfica, where he won a domestic treble in 2013/14 under Jorge Jesus, though he struggled with various injuries. He won 14 caps for Portugal, appearing at two World Cups, but ended his playing days at the age of 32 following a loan spell in Qatar.
‘I am fanatical’
Amorim has described Mourinho as a role model – he spent a short internship with his compatriot when Mourinho was managing United between 2016 and 2018. And Jesus was also a major influence. Amorim started his managerial career with a short stint at Lisbon club Casa Pia, then in the Portuguese third tier, in 2018.
He was appointed reserve team manager at Braga the following year and just three months later was promoted to first team boss. Eye-catching success at the top-flight club, including a shock League Cup final win over Porto – was enough to convince Sporting to pay his release clause in 2020.
Amorim’s links with Benfica, Sporting’s bitter rivals, sparked concerns among fans but he was single-minded in his approach as he targeted a first league title for the club since 2002. “I am a professional and I am fanatical about winning. I know how big this club is. I played against them. I am not hiding my past,” he said at his unveiling.
He delivered immediately, leading Sporting to the Primeira Liga title in his first full season with the loss of just one game, and also won the League Cup, defeating his former club Braga in the final. Amorim took Sporting to the Champions League last 16 the following season and they reached the Europa League quarter-finals in the 2022/23 campaign.
He won a second Portuguese title last season to further burnish his reputation. Now Amorim has decided to take the plunge and join one of the world’s biggest clubs, with a brief to restore United to the pinnacle of the English and European game. He faces huge challenges at a club that has under-performed under multiple managers but if he succeeds he will lift himself onto a different plane.
