Ruben Amorim reveals Manchester United rejected his demand before Sporting exit

Ruben Amorim says Manchester United turned down his request to stay on at Sporting until the end of the season and threatened to look elsewhere if he did not commit to the project.

United confirmed the appointment of Amorim this afternoon, just four days on from Erik ten Hag’s dismissal at Old Trafford.

Amorim quickly emerged as INEOS’ number-one target, with the club announcing their intention to activate his â‚¬10million (£8.4m) release clause on Monday.

The Portuguese coach, who previously attracted interest from Manchester City, Liverpool and West Ham, has a 30-day notice period in his Sporting contract but United paid a further €1m to release him early.

It means Amorim will begin work in Manchester during the international break and the 39-year-old’s opening match as a Premier League head coach will come against Ipswich at Portman Road on November 24.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will remain in charge on an interim basis for United’s next three games, starting at home to Chelsea on Sunday.

Amorim received a mixed reception in the stands at Sporting’s Jose Alvalade Stadium during the side’s 5-1 win over Estrela this evening, which came a matter of hours after United’s official announcement.

‘In the next home game [against Manchester City], whether we win or lose by 15-0, I’ll be there to see what the fans want to give me,’ Amorim told reporters in the mixed zone shortly after the final whistle in Lisbon.

‘I understand their anger, but we move on and time heals everything. It was the best period of my life.’

The timing of Amorim’s departure has received plenty of criticism throughout the Portuguese game but the new United head coach launched a passionate defence of his decision at his post-match press conference.

‘The only thing I asked of Manchester United was to leave at the end of the season. I spent three days asking, it was what I wanted,’ he explained.

‘They said it wasn’t possible, it was either now or never so I had to make a decision. If I didn’t accept, they would look for another option.’

Amorim continued: ‘There is no Sporting supporter who wanted me to stay until the end of the season more than I did. But it wasn’t possible.

‘Some people say it’s for money. It’s not.

‘Other clubs were prepared to pay three times more and I refused. This is the club [United] that I wanted.’

Amorim confirmed he will be joined at the Theatre of Dreams by his trusted aides, adding: ‘I’m going to take my coaching staff with me. We’ve been together since Casa Pia. It was one of the conditions.’

He went on: ‘At start of the season I talked to the Sporting president and said that whatever happened it would be my last season at Sporting.

‘The season started very well, then Manchester United appeared and paid the clause. I never argued with the president.’

Amorim has enjoyed a remarkable managerial rise in recent years, progressing from third-tier side Casa Pia to the Portuguese top flight in just over a year.

Joining Sporting in 2020, he delivered the club’s first league title in 19 years in his first full season and repeated the feat in 2023, finishing 10 points ahead of second-placed Benfica.

This season, Sporting have won their first nine games and sit six points clear of Porto at the top of the table.

His immediate task at Old Trafford will be to spark an uptick in performances after a dire start to the season led INEOS to pull the plug on Ten Hag’s tenure.

The Dutchman appeared to be heading for the exit at the end of last season but was granted a stay of execution and a one-year contract extension after guiding the Red Devils to an unlikely FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

However, despite being backed handsomely in the summer with over £200million spent on new signings, Ten Hag’s failed to show signs of tangible improvements to start the season.

Heavy early-season defeats to Liverpool and Tottenham coupled with a disappointing start to the Europa League eventually brought to an end the Dutchman’s spell at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag’s former assistant, van Nistelrooy, took charge of the team on an interim basis for the first time against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

He will take charge of three further games – Chelsea in the Premier League, PAOK in the Europa League, and Leicester again in the league – before handing over the reins to Amorim.

His long-term coaching future at Old Trafford is currently unclear, with Amorim also keen to bring over some of his backroom staff from Sporting as part of the deal.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.