Amorim Says Future ‘Hasn’t Been Decided’ as Man United Shows Interest in Sporting Lisbon Coach

 Sporting's coach Ruben Amorim attends a training session on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against SK Sturm Graz at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy in Alcochete, outskirts of Lisbon, on September 21, 2024. (AFP)
Sporting's coach Ruben Amorim attends a training session on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against SK Sturm Graz at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy in Alcochete, outskirts of Lisbon, on September 21, 2024. (AFP)
TT
20

Amorim Says Future ‘Hasn’t Been Decided’ as Man United Shows Interest in Sporting Lisbon Coach

 Sporting's coach Ruben Amorim attends a training session on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against SK Sturm Graz at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy in Alcochete, outskirts of Lisbon, on September 21, 2024. (AFP)
Sporting's coach Ruben Amorim attends a training session on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against SK Sturm Graz at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy in Alcochete, outskirts of Lisbon, on September 21, 2024. (AFP)

Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim said Tuesday his future "hasn’t been decided yet" amid interest from Manchester United.

"Nobody knows if this was my farewell match, or if there will be a farewell match," Amorim said in quotes reported by Portugal’s sports daily A Bola after Sporting’s 3-1 win over Nacional in the Portuguese League Cup quarterfinals.

Hours earlier, Sporting released a statement to the Lisbon Stock Exchange, saying it has told United that Amorim has a release clause worth 10 million euros ($10.8 million) in his contract.

The Portuguese champions said United "has shown interest" in paying that amount for Amorim.

United is looking to replace Erik ten Hag, who was fired on Monday with the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.

Ten Hag was the 20-time English champions' fifth permanent manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. United hasn't won the league since Ferguson's departure.

The 39-year-old Amorim has coached Sporting since 2020, leading the team to Portuguese league titles in 2021 and last season.

Sporting leads the league this season, too, having won all nine of its games, bolstering Amorim's reputation as one of Europe's most talented coaches.

"We have to wait a little bit more to explain everything I need to explain. It will be very clear," he said.

Amorim said he expects to still be in Lisbon on Sunday, when United hosts Chelsea in the Premier League, but when pressed he laughed and said: "I don't know."

He reportedly held talks with West Ham last season and was linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool before Arne Slot was hired.

Amorim is a former Portugal midfielder who spent the majority of his club career at Benfica.

His contract at Sporting expires in 2026.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked earlier Tuesday if he thought Amorim has what it takes to succeed in the Premier League.

"All I can talk about is the experience of playing twice against Ruben’s Sporting Lisbon team (in the Champions League's round of 16 in 2022), and the pressure was really, really good," Guardiola said.

"I spoke with (current City player) Matheus Nunes, and he was his player, and he speaks highly about him. And look this season, he is unbeaten and winning all the games in the Portuguese league and (in) the Champions League, (they have) the same points as us. So a high manager. I have the feeling that Man United, what I hear, that they are thinking about him, it’s because he’s a good manager."

Ten Hag's assistant at United, Ruud van Nistelrooy, will take interim control of the team for Wednesday's English League Cup match against Leicester at Old Trafford.



Women’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Finals Set for Saturday at Esports World Cup

In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard - SPA
In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard - SPA
TT
20

Women’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Finals Set for Saturday at Esports World Cup

In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard - SPA
In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard - SPA

The women’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament at the second Esports World Cup concludes Saturday, featuring finals between Team Liquid, Vincere PH, ONIC Pertiwi, Team Vitality, and Saudi Arabia’s Twisted Minds, who made history by securing the final spot from Group A after defeating local rivals Valcons Vega MENA, while eight teams have been eliminated from the competition.

In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard, SPA reported.

Brazilian teams aiN Gaming and Fluxo also delivered strong performances, signaling a thrilling conclusion to the tournament. The unpredictable nature of the game, reminiscent of the dramatic upsets seen in Apex Legends last week, promises more twists ahead.

The global event continues to captivate millions of fans worldwide, driven by massive engagement across social media.

As the tournament progresses, the Kingdom remains at the forefront of the global esports and gaming scene, providing a world-class platform that merges entertainment and competition.