Ruben Amorim has admitted he understands why Sporting Lisbon fans are angry with him after receiving a brutal message on Friday night.
Amorim has had a rollercoaster week which has catapulted him into the Manchester United job after Erik ten Hag was sacked. The 39-year-old Sporting boss was officially announced as the new United manager on Friday afternoon but he had other things to focus on, having to take charge of Sporting’s match against Estrela da Amadora that evening.
In the event, the match went well, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring a first-half hat-trick on the way to netting four in a 5-1 thrashing. But Amorim also had to face some upset supporters after agreeing to move to United on November 11 after two more Sporting matches before the international break.
Although he was given a standing ovation before kick-off at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, there was a different message outside the stadium. A large banner hung on a block of flats near the stadium read bluntly: “Amorim, this is no longer your home, thank you.”
Speaking after the win, Amorim sounded a conciliatory note towards fans. “It wasn’t a normal week,” he said. “Of course I felt different this week. I understand the anger and disappointment of some fans, but that’s life.
“I was moved by today’s ovation. I’m already in task mode, I’m very grateful to all the fans, to everyone here. Today I did the same as always. I only thank the fans when we lose, as we won, today I went back to the dressing room.
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“Of course in the next game here at home, whether we win or lose 0-15, then I’ll say goodbye to the fans. It was the best period of my life, but I have to make my decisions and I take them naturally. I understand their pain, but we move on and time heals everything.”
There has been some friction behind the scenes at Sporting this week as negotiations have rumbled on – and that could continue given that United are yet to agree terms to take Amorim’s coaching staff. Amorim has been open about the difficulties at the club he’s led for the past four years.
“Talking now is just another destabilisation for the squad,” he said on Thursday. “I could have said that the atmosphere was good and that nobody reads the news, but I know the players feel anxious. There was no revolt at all. I know my players and I am honest with you when I say that they were not normal.
“I could see that they were nervous about the news, with a series of difficult games coming up. There was no revolt and I did not need [captain] Morten [Hjulmand] to hold his team-mates back.”
