When Manchester United gave Ruben Amorim a short window halfway through the season to bring the faltering Premier League giants back to the top of English and European football, he disclosed on Friday that they told him “it was now or never.” After the club fired Erik ten Hag on Monday due to a dismal start to the season, the 39-year-old Sporting Lisbon coach immediately became the clear favorite to take over at Old Trafford. Amorim will join the team on November 11 and has signed a contract that will last until 2027. He will be the sixth permanent manager since Alex Ferguson departed in 2013.
“One of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football” is how United put it.
“Highly decorated as both a player and coach, his titles include winning the Primeira Liga twice in Portugal with Sporting CP — the first of which was the club’s first title in 19 years,” read a statement from the club.
Until Amorim gets to Old Trafford, Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue to serve as interim manager.
Sporting’s 5-1 thumping of Estrela on Friday was the team’s 10th victory in 10 league games this season, and the Portuguese coach will be in charge of the team’s remaining games before the international break.
Next Tuesday, Sporting will play Manchester City in the Champions League, and on November 10, Amorim’s last match as manager will take place against his old team, Braga.
On November 24, he will lead United for the first time away against relegation-threatened Ipswich.
In a statement, Sporting announced that United will compensate the Portuguese team for Amorim’s departure with 11 million euros ($12 million).
Ten Hag was fired by United on Monday after they lost 2-1 to West Ham, dropping to 14th place in the Premier League with only three victories from nine games despite a significant financial investment.
After drawing their first three games of the season, the three-time European champions now rank 21st out of 36 clubs in the redesigned Europa League.
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