Ruben Amorim has been unemployed since leaving Manchester United in January, but the former Sporting Lisbon manager could soon return to familiar surroundings in the dugout.
Ruben Amorim could become Benfica’s next head coach (Image: Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim is on the brink of a return to management after the former Manchester United manager has been named as the successor to Benfica’s Jose Mourinho.
Despite arriving in the Premier League with a high profile, Amorim, 41, was sacked by the club in January after enduring a tumultuous period at Old Trafford. The Red Devils’ fortunes have improved significantly under Michael Carrick, who is set to take over as permanent head coach after performing well in an interim capacity.
Amorim first made his name as Portugal’s coach at Sporting Lisbon, where he won two titles, but he could return to managing one of their biggest rivals.
The Sun claims Benfica are targeting Amorim to replace Mourinho at Real Madrid after agreeing a return to the Spanish giants.
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Amorim has strong links with Sporting Lisbon, although he represented Benfica during his playing days and ended his career with the club before moving into coaching.
He is also a “close friend” of Benfica president Rui Costa, who was the club’s sporting director during Amorim’s playing days. The Benfica manager remains a big fan of Amorim, who won just 25 of his 63 games for Manchester United.
Interestingly, Amorim was previously tipped as a potential successor to manager Josep Guardiola, who decided to leave Manchester City at the end of this season after a trophy-winning decade in charge.
Jose Mourinho aims for sensational return to Real Madrid (Image: Getty Images)
Sporting director Hugo Viana, who Amorim worked closely with during his time at Sporting Lisbon, took up a similar role at Etihad last year, and City are reported to have named Amorim as a potential replacement for Guardiola in October 2024.
While Amorim was in Portugal, other top clubs, including Liverpool, were also said to be interested.
However, it was Manchester United who moved to sign the Portuguese manager just weeks after City’s interest was reported, following the decision to sack manager Erik ten Hag.
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