Manchester United will welcome Ruben Amorim as their replacement for Erik ten Hag after he verbally agreed to become the new manager. The Portuguese coach will be tasked with rebuilding the Red Devils after they slipped to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season. So far in his coaching career, the 39-year-old has won six trophies, including two Primeira Liga titles for Sporting CP – ending their 19-year wait for a league triumph.
Amorim has already faced English clubs in European competitions. This includes Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who he faced in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in January 2022. He will face the Sky Blues again on 5th November in his last European match as Sporting CP manager. This is because the compensation agreement between the two clubs stipulates that Amorim has a 30-day notice period before officially joining United.
Ruben Amorim Record Against Premier League Clubs – Manager | ||
|---|---|---|
Match | Date | Competition |
Sporting CP 0-5 Manchester City | 15th February 2022 | UEFA Champions League |
Manchester City 0-0 Sporting CP | 9th March 2022 | UEFA Champions League |
Sporting CP 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur | 14th September 2022 | UEFA Champions League |
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Sporting CP | 26th October 2022 | UEFA Champions League |
Sporting CP 2-2 Arsenal | 9th March 2023 | UEFA Europa League |
Arsenal 1-1 Sporting CP (Sporting CP won 5-3 on penalties) | 16th March 2023 | UEFA Europa League |
Arsenal
Sporting CP 2-2 Arsenal – 9th March 2023
Amorim’s side were drawn against Arsenal in the last 16 of the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League. Unsurprisingly, they were the underdogs against Mikel Arteta’s side and found themselves a goal behind after 22 minutes following a William Saliba. Sporting responded with goals from Goncalo Inacio and Paulinho, though, giving them the advantage with 35 minutes left. Paulinho missed a great chance shortly after making it 2-1 with the Gunners looking shaky, especially from Sporting’s counter attacks.
Arsenal equalised in the 62nd minute following a deflection from Sporting’s Hidemasa Morita that found the back of the net. Both teams had chances to win the game in the latter stages, but they had to settle for a draw. After the match, Arteta bemoaned his side’s defensive display. He said:
“It’s true that it’s something that we must improve massively if we want to keep winning games.
“When you concede two poor goals like we did away from home in Europe it’s very difficult to get a positive result.
“We gave too many simple balls away. We need to defend our box much better.”
Arsenal 1-1 Sporting CP (Sporting win 5-3 on penalties) – 16th March 2023
In the return leg, Granit Xhaka opened the scoring after 19 minutes for an Arsenal team that made five changes. William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu suffered injuries, though, with Sporting increasingly coming back into the game in the second half. Two minutes after the hour mark, Pedro Goncalves scored a remarkable equaliser – lifting the ball past Aaron Ramsdale from 46 yards away.
Sporting continued to create chances after Goncalves’ wonderstrike, with Paulinho and Marcus Edwards coming close to scoring the winner. Ultimately, the match went to extra-time with both teams having chances to score the seventh goal of the tie. Arsenal defender Gabriel came closest with his effort cleared off the goalline in the final stages of extra-time. A penalty shootout was therefore required to separate the two teams, and the first seven spot-kicks were tucked away. Gabriel Martinelli saw his penalty saved, though, which gave Nuno Santos the chance to send Sporting into the quarter-finals. He tucked away the spot-kick, eliminating the favourites for the competition and securing a famous two-legged win for Amorim.
Manchester City
Sporting CP 0-5 Manchester City – 15th February 2022
Sporting qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2009 in the 2021/22 campaign. They were drawn against Guardiola’s City, who had lost in the final of the competition in the previous season to their English counterparts, Chelsea. It was a harsh reality check for Amorim’s team in the first-half, as goals from Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, and Phil Foden saw them go 4-0 down after 44 minutes.
Raheem Sterling added a fifth in the second half as City effectively ended the tie after the first leg. Despite the scoreline, Sporting’s fans still showed their appreciation for the team at the final whistle, following a successful two-year stint under Amorim domestically and in Europe.
Manchester City 0-0 Sporting CP – 9th March 2022
The second leg was simply a procession for Guardiola’s side following their emphatic 5-0 win in Portugal. From the outset, it was evident that Sporting were keen on restricting City, while the Blues played with a lack of urgency throughout. Sterling and Gabriel Jesus had the best chances for City, with the Brazilian striker having a goal disallowed in the early stages of the second half following a pass from Riyad Mahrez.
Sporting had some half chances in the match but only registered six shots in the 90 minutes and had only 31% possession. Guardiola was in buoyant mood after the final whistle as City qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition for the fifth season in a row. He said:
“I’m a guy who learns at the time to enjoy the moment. When I qualify for the quarter-finals, I enjoy it; when I qualify for the last 16, I know how difficult it is.
“When you go through, every opponent is difficult. Now it is time to congratulate everyone, focus on the Premier League and see the draw.”
Upcoming match – Sporting CP vs Manchester City – 5th November 2024
Ben Jacobs reported on 31st October 2024 that Amorim is expected to be appointed as the new United manager imminently. It is expected that the Red Devils will announce that the incoming 39-year-old will not start until 10th November, meaning Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the next three United games against Chelsea, PAOK and Leicester.
Sporting have matches against Estrela, City and Braga in this time. Amorim will face Guardiola one more time as Sporting manager, looking to win for the first time when facing the three-time Champions League winner. So far, the Lions have picked up seven points in three Champions League games, including wins against Sturm Graz and Lille.
Tottenham Hotspur
Sporting CP 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur – 14th September 2022
Tottenham Hotspur were drawn in a Champions League group with Eintracht Frankfurt, Marseille and Sporting in the 2022/23 season. After a 2-0 home win against Marseille, Spurs travelled to Lisbon to face Amorim’s side. Spurs created multiple chances in the first half, with Richarlison having a shot cleared off the line and scoring a disallowed goal.
The Brazilian striker also had chances to break the deadlock after the break, along with Emerson Royal and Ivan Perisic, but they were unable to find a way through Sporting’s resolute backline. Antonio Conte’s side were left to regret the missed opportunities as the Portuguese giants scored two goals in added time to secure a 2-0 win. Former Spurs midfielder Marcus Edwards impressed for Sporting in this match. Speaking about the talented English playmaker after the game, Amorim said:
“He’s very strong between the lines. He was very confident for this game. He knew personally some of Tottenham’s players.
“He has the characteristics, he has the talent. He can make it into the England national team.”
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Sporting CP – 26th October 2022
Spurs required a victory against Sporting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to book their place in the knockout stages. Edwards’ low effort punished Conte’s side after 22 minutes, though, prompting the home crowd to boo the players as the referee blew the half-time whistle. They improved massively after the interval, dominating their opposition, who retreated into a low defensive block as the minutes ticked away.
It took until the 80th minute for the Lilywhites to score the equaliser, with Rodrigo Bentancur heading home from a corner. They pressed for the winner, and in stoppage time it looked like Harry Kane had booked Spurs’ place in the next round. He was adjuged to be offside following a cushioned header for Royal, though, meaning the game ended in a 1-1 draw. The North London club won their final game in Marseille to top the group, while Amorim’s side succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, demoting them to the Europa League.
Information gathered from Transfermarkt and BBC Sport – Correct as of 01/11//24.