- Amorim is expected to take over at United following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag
- He took charge of what could have been his last match for Sporting on Tuesday
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Ruben Amorim confirmed on Tuesday evening that he will take charge of Sporting’s training on Wednesday, stressing that a move to succeed Erik ten Hag at Manchester United has not yet been completed.
Earlier in the day, Sporting released a statement confirming United’s plan to pay the €10 million release clause to buy Amorim out of his contract.
But after overseeing a ‘strange’ 3-1 League Cup win over Nacional, Amorim faced the media to reveal just how close a move to Old Trafford actually is.
“Manchester United are interested but it is my choice,” he said. ‘Until everything is decided, we will not make any noise. I have nothing useful to say. I’ll do what I want to do, just like I’ve always done.
‘I don’t want to fuel this problem. There is the club’s statement to the CMVM, apart from that we do not know the details yet, we will see.
Ruben Amorim has insisted that ‘nothing has been decided yet’ over his expected move to Manchester United
The Portuguese took charge of what is likely his last match against Sporting on Tuesday evening
He stressed that ‘no one knows if it is a farewell match’, despite United being prepared to pay the release clause
“I have always taken responsibility for my decisions and I will be here to do that, but when I am sure of everything it will be easier.”
Amorim hurriedly left at the final whistle and decided not to say goodbye to the supporters, many of whom burst into tears at the news of his expected departure.
“Nothing has been decided yet,” he doubled down. “I don’t know if it’s the farewell match or not.”
Amorim spent most of Tuesday at the club’s training base in a bid to stay away from the cameras, amid increasing reports of an impending move to Old Trafford, emerging as the main target from Ineos.
Locked up with his players, Amorim admitted he had to address ‘the elephant in the room’ so they could focus on the cup quarter-final.
“It’s hard,” he said of managing the locker room. ‘It’s almost impossible, it’s football, there was an announcement and it happened on match day. That’s out of your control.
‘There was no point at all, it was right before the set pieces to get the elephant out of the room. Before the statement was released, I explained to the players everything that happened. There’s nothing more to say.
‘The atmosphere wasn’t perfect and what we did was do our job, without the same joy or clarity of mind – and it showed in the stadium.’
He added that “the atmosphere was not perfect” and that his team did not have “joy or a clear head.”
Fans have decried his possible departure, while some were left in tears, and Amorim promised full transparency about the process
United officials moved quickly to try to appoint Amorim following the sacking of Erik ten Hag
Amorim grew increasingly frustrated with repeated questions about his future and attacked a reporter who spoke as if he had already left.
“I haven’t even left Sporting yet,” he said. ‘What I’m saying is that when everything is decided, I’ll come back here and talk about everything and explain everything.
‘Of course they are [fans] angry. They have a lot of affection for me and my work. People need to feel what they need to feel in the moment. I understand that and it is completely natural.
‘If I get the chance, which I certainly will, I will explain in detail why I have decided one thing or another.
‘I also felt the atmosphere in the stadium. The players themselves also went to training camp and I felt different.’
