Ruben Amorim Leaves Sporting Lisbon for Manchester United

Ruben Amorim, the current manager of Sporting Lisbon, has made headlines recently with his decision to leave the club at the end of the season. Amorim had initially planned to stay with Sporting until the conclusion of the current campaign before making a move to Manchester United. However, circumstances have forced him to change his plans.

On October 31, Manchester United announced that they had appointed Amorim as their new manager, replacing Erik ten Hag, who was sacked earlier. Amorim is set to join the Premier League club on November 11, which is earlier than he had hoped. In a press conference following Sporting's impressive 5-1 victory over Estrela da Amadora, Amorim shared his thoughts on the situation.

"At the beginning of the season, I had a conversation with the president of Sporting, and I made it clear that this would be my last season at the club," Amorim stated. He expressed his desire to finish the season with Sporting, but the opportunity presented by Manchester United was too significant to ignore. "United showed up, paid the clause, above the clause, and the president defended their interests. I never discussed anything with the president. The only request I made was that it be at the end of the season, but they told me it was not possible. It was now or never," he explained.

Sporting confirmed that Manchester United had expressed interest in Amorim and was willing to pay his release clause. This left Amorim with little time to make a life-changing decision. "I had three days to decide on something that completely changes my life," he remarked. He acknowledged the difficulty of leaving Sporting, a club he holds dear. "It is very difficult for me to leave. More to me than to any Sporting fan," he added.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Amorim is committed to giving his best for Sporting in the remaining matches. He emphasized the importance of focusing on the upcoming games against Manchester City in the Champions League and Braga in the league. "Stay or go, for me, I have to do what Sporting decides. I prefer it that way. I don't let the players down," he said. Amorim also noted that the news of his departure had affected his players, making them anxious during the recent match against Nacional.

In light of his impending move to Manchester United, Amorim clarified that he would not be looking to bring any Sporting players with him, specifically mentioning striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has been in excellent form. "Gyokeres costs 100 million, and it's very difficult. I'm not going to pick up any Sporting player in January," he stated. He acknowledged the disappointment of the fans, especially as the team is having a remarkable season.

As Amorim prepares for his new chapter at Manchester United, he remains focused on his responsibilities at Sporting. His journey reflects the challenges and decisions that come with being a football manager, where loyalty to a club often clashes with career opportunities. Fans of both Sporting and Manchester United will be watching closely as Amorim transitions to his new role, hoping for success in both his remaining matches and his future endeavors.