Ruben Amorim is a Fan of Pep Guardiola
The future Manchester United coach, Ruben Amorim, has stated that he is focused on the duel between his Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City, while highlighting his admiration for Pep Guardiola.
The time has come for the reunion between Ruben Amorim and Pep Guardiola. While he prepares to take the reins at Manchester United on November 11, the Portuguese coach faces his Spanish counterpart once again in the Champions League matchup between Sporting Portugal and Manchester City, scheduled for this Tuesday, nearly two years after their last encounter. That meeting left a mark, as the Portuguese team was thoroughly outplayed by the Manchester side in the first leg of the 2022 Champions League round of 16 (0-5).
Amorim, who wants to close his chapter with Sporting Portugal in the best possible way before moving to the Premier League, is also hoping to use this game to take revenge on a coach whom he once considered "the best in the world" leading "the best team in the world." Since that crushing defeat in the Champions League knockout stage, the future Red Devils coach claims to have matured and learned a lot. However, he is convinced that Pep Guardiola has also improved over time.
“Guardiola has been an inspiration”
"I feel like a better coach (than back then). Unfortunately, I feel that Pep Guardiola has also become an even better coach, so the gap remains the same," the young coach said in a press conference on the eve of their reunion, showering the Sky Blues’ coach with praise. "It’s clear that Pep Guardiola has been an inspiration for many of us coaches, as have others." While the match will be closely watched in England, as both managers will soon face each other in the Premier League, Ruben Amorim insists that the outcome doesn’t concern him and won’t affect his immediate future.
"The conclusions drawn after this match are not important to me because they can be misleading. If the result is very negative, expectations will drop, and I don’t think that’s a bad starting point at Manchester United. If we win tomorrow, people will think the new Alex Ferguson has arrived, and that will be very difficult to live up to," he confessed. Although Amorim aimed to exercise caution to avoid adding to the excitement surrounding this match, it would be wise for him to try to pull one over on a coach who won’t hesitate to do the same in future Manchester derbies.
