Ruben Amorim told he left a ‘poisoned gift’ at Sporting after Manchester United move
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Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas believes Ruben Amorim left a ‘poisoned gift’ following his move to Manchester United. The 39-year-old guided Sporting to the Portuguese league title earlier this year and the club appeared to be on course for another strong season before he left to replace Erik ten Hag as United manager in November.
![[Mandatory Credit: Photo by Valter Gouveia/SPP/Shutterstock (15003689m) Joao Pereira head coach of Sporting CP during the Liga Portugal Betclic match between Sporting CP and Boavista FC at Estadio Jose de Alvalade on December 14th, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. Liga Portugal Betclic - Sporting CP vs Boavista FC (Valter Gouveia/SPP) Liga Portugal Betclic - Sporting CP vs Boavista FC, Lisbon, Portugal - 14 Dec 2024]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233250473-e8e2.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Amorim had asked to remain at Sporting for the remainder of the season but United rejected his request in order to force through his arrival from Portugal. Sporting opted to promote Joao Pereira from the club’s B team as their new head coach but he has endured a difficult start with four defeats in seven games.
Varandas believes Sporting were put in a unique situation due to Amorim’s exit halfway through the season and has described the decision to appoint Pereira as ‘the most ungrateful invitation’. ‘2024 will go down in history as one of the best years, fantastic, in the most beautiful pages of our history,’ Varandas said at the Stromp Awards gala on Thursday night.
‘It is encouraging in relation to what we have achieved, but also for the future. It is a year of such success that we ended the year feeling like victims of our own success. ‘I am here to speak transparently and clearly about the current situation. Much, much was said… in the farewell conferences of the former coach and in the presentation of the new one… we actually had a plan, defined and possible to carry out, with the commitment of everyone.
‘At the end of last season, Ruben Amorim, one of the best coaches in the history of Sporting, informed us that it would be time to end the cycle. He wanted to end with the second championship. We prepared the group for this and so we started the season, as we ended the previous one, with a well-tuned machine.
