Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim, who is set to take over at Manchester United next week, praised Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, calling him “the best coach in the world.”
Ahead of Sporting’s upcoming Champions League clash with Manchester City, Amorim expressed admiration for Guardiola’s achievements, noting the high level of competition he expects in the match, which will be one of his last in charge of Sporting.
On Monday, Amorim spoke to Sport TV, highlighting his view on Guardiola’s impact on modern coaching. He noted that while he feels he has grown as a coach since their last Champions League encounter in 2022, Guardiola has also continued to improve, keeping the gap between them significant.
“Pep Guardiola was an inspiration to many of us coaches,” he remarked, emphasizing how Guardiola’s leadership and tactical skills have set the benchmark in European football.
Manchester United secured Amorim’s services with a transfer fee of 11 million euros (around $12 million), describing him as “one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football.” United, who are currently struggling in 13th place in the Premier League, hope Amorim can restore their former glory.
As Amorim prepares for his final matches with Sporting, he shared his perspective on facing City and his upcoming role at United. “If the result is very negative, expectations will drop, and I don’t think that’s a bad starting point,” he explained. He added that while some might label him as a “new Alex Ferguson” if he were to win against City, he is focused on managing expectations.
Sporting’s captain, Morten Hjulmand, also commented on Amorim’s departure, noting the mix of sadness and understanding among the players. “I felt sad when I heard that he was leaving,” Hjulmand said, expressing hope that Amorim’s success at United would reflect well on Sporting and inspire his teammates as they continue their season without him.
Amorim will play his last game with Sporting against Braga on Sunday before beginning his new journey at Manchester United, a club eager for his leadership to bring fresh hope to their struggling season.
