Things are yet to go to plan for the Portuguese boss at Manchester United
Ruben Amorim was once better known for his jokes rather than tactics and a former teammate doubted the Portuguese would make it as a manager.
Former Benfica teammate Roderick Miranda admitted he was surprised to see Amorim take the leap from the dressing room to become the manager of Manchester United. “I never thought he’d become a coach! Not because of his football skills or his intelligence, but because he was the changing room clown,” Miranda told Flashscore Australia.
“He had a really fun personality and was always doing something to make people laugh. When I heard he started as a coach I was a little bit surprised and wondered how the guy I played with could become so serious!
“But he was a very intelligent player. He could play in many different positions, so maybe that’s why he’s a brilliant coach, because he has such a great understanding of the game.”
Amorim and Miranda both developed through Benfica’s academy and played together in the 2000s. The United boss earned 14 caps for Portugal between 2010 and 2014 and played for three Portuguese teams: Belenenses, Benfica and Braga before a brief loan stint at Qatari side Al-Wakrah.
But it wasn’t until he began his managerial career that he started to attract interest from across Europe. Amorim broke Sporting Clube de Portugal’s 19-year title drought and won a total of five titles for the Portuguese giants between 2020 and 2024.
However, things are yet to go to plan at Old Trafford since he was appointed as successor of Erik ten Hag last November. The Reds sit 13th in the Premier League, having won just six of the 17 Premier League games in charge so far.
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2025-03-29 21:00:00
