Ruben Amorim is set to beat off rivals to become Manchester United’s new manager after the 13-time Premier League champions parted company with Erik ten Hag on Monday. And former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho has already revealed what he thinks of the departing Sporting manager after comparing the 39-year-old to himself.
Amorim is widely regarded as one of the best young managers in Europe, having guided Sporting to two Primeira Liga titles during a four-and-a-half year spell at Estadio Jose Alvalade.
And he will be tasked with reversing the Red Devils’ slide, which began when Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
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Amorim illustrated his credentials on the European stage when he masterminded Sporting’s Europa League last-16 victory over Arsenal two seasons ago, with the Portuguese team winning the tie on penalties.
And following the second leg, he received a text from Mourinho, who had guided Roma into the quarter-finals of the same competition on the same night.
“Mourinho is one of a kind,” Amorim explained in his press conference after being asked about comparisons to the former Chelsea boss. “He’s already texted me [saying], ‘The old and the new [Mourinho] are still in, I’ll see you in the next stage’.”
Mourinho invited Amorim to intern with him at Old Trafford during his time as United boss after the former midfielder had impressed him on a High Performance Coaching course at the University of Lisbon.
Mourinho was a coordinator and lecturer on the course and selected Amorim alongside two other students to attend United’s Carrington training complex towards the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
And during an interview with Mais Futebol in May, the 61-year-old extolled Amorim once again as he explained: “I like him as a person, I like him as a coach.
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“I think he has the conditions to be able to coach in any league and he has the conditions to be able to coach in any club. But he's in a good league and he's in a big club.”
And offering advice to any team who had hopes of prising Amorim away from Portugal, Mourinho added: “The decision is his, and it will be up to the clubs that want him or not to convince him with more or less arguments.”
United are hoping to appoint Amorim before they host Chelsea in the Premier League at the weekend. And the Sporting boss could be set to triple his wages to £130,000 per week if he puts pen-to-paper on a deal at Old Trafford.
