Ruben Amorim is set to leave Sporting a hero and the incoming Manchester United boss is pulling out all the stops to make sure he leaves Portugal on good terms.
Tuesday's 4-1 win against Manchester City was a stunning way to mark his final home game in charge, and the 39-year-old will aim to go out on a high at former club Braga on Sunday. From then on, he will take over from Ruud van Nistelrooy and attempt to correct United's poor start to the season.
But in the final days of his Sporting stint, Amorim's full attention is focused on fans from his homeland.
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Portuguese station Radio Renascenca ran a show on Friday morning in which listeners were asked to request songs which fit Amorim's move to the Premier League. To the shock of the 'As Tres da Manha' hosts, the manager himself got in touch.
His audio message said, according to O Jogo: "Hello, Joana. Hello, Ines. And a special hello to Ana [a Sporting fan], because the other two are very happy that I'm leaving. A hello, too, to all the listeners of Renascenca and a big thank you for your suggestions, so that I can leave our country happier.
"But I would also like to leave my suggestion, the song 'A Minha Casinha', by Xutos e Pontapes, because I think I'm going to miss it a lot. It's a song that fits well with the departure. Having said that, thank you very much, see you soon."
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The song selected by Amorim repeats the following lyrics, translated into English: "The misses I already had, from my happy little house, as modest as me. My God, how good it is to live on the modest first floor, counting from the sky."
Amorim will leave huge shoes to fill at Sporting, having led them to a dominant Liga Portugal title last season and begun this campaign with a flawless record of 10 victories, no draws and no defeats.
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Their Champions League form has been equally impressive, with the shock win over Man City making it four games unbeaten. Amorim previously masterminded wins over Sturm Graz and Lille, as well as a draw at PSV Eindhoven.
Van Nistelrooy will take charge of his final United game as interim boss on Sunday, as the Red Devils host Leicester City at Old Trafford. It remains to be seen whether Amorim keeps the Dutchman on as part of his coaching staff after he made it clear that he wants to stay.
