Ruben Amorim enjoys a fairytale ending at Sporting Lisbon as his side fight back from two goals down to triumph 4-2 over Braga… celebrating passionately with fans just a day before starting his Man United job
Sporting Lisbon have pulled off a sensational comeback against Braga to give Ruben Amorim a fairytale ending to his spell as manager as he gets ready to fly to England for his new role as Manchester United boss.
The Portuguese has won two titles during a glittering four-year spell at the club which has now come to an end after he agreed to become Erik ten Hag’s successor at Old Trafford.
The terms of his contract meant that he would take charge of three more matches at Sporting before flying to England and settling in over the international break ahead of a first fixture at Ipswich on November 24.
He further endeared himself to his new fanbase in one of the games, humiliating Man City 4-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday thanks to a hat-trick from rumoured Red Devils target Victor Gyokeres.
In his final chapter as Sporting boss tonight it seemed he was ending on a sour note with the side 2-0 down against Braga at half-time, but a frantic final 35 minutes saw Amorim’s men score four goals and give him the perfect send-off.
Ruben Amorim has waved goodbye to Sporting Lisbon after a dramatic comeback win
His side were 2-0 down at half-time and he has a Conrad Harder double to thank for the win
The centre-forward scored a long-range effort on 89 minutes to give Sporting the lead
The hosts took the lead after Ricardo Horta made the most of some chaotic defending and struck home from three yards out.
The right winger then doubled Braga’s advantage after being released in the box, his finish squeezing past Sporting’s goalkeeper and looping into the net.
Amorim must have put a rocket up the visitors at half-time as his side looked a different proposition altogether in the second period.
They got themselves back into the match thanks to a lashed Hide Morita rebound from a corner before Morten Hjulmand squared things up with 10 minutes left.
A quickfire Conrad Harder double, including a spectacular low strike from outside the box to give Sporting the lead, completed the turnaround and handed Amorim the chance to wave a joyous farewell to the travelling contingent.
The result maintains their perfect start to the league campaign and leaves them well on their way to a third title in five years.
The 39-year-old will arrive in England on Monday but won’t be able to start work as United’s new head coach until he has been granted a work permit.
Most of the players will be away on international duty anyway, with Amorim’s first game not for another two weeks.
Morten Hjullmand scored a dramatic equaliser at Braga on Sunday in Amorim’s last match
The Portuguese boss was his animated self until the end when he waved a joyous farewell
He has won the title two times with Sporting and has left them well set for a third in five years
He will not be unveiled to the media until his pre-match press conference for that game, although he is expected to speak to United’s in-house TV station before then.
The club are keen for Amorim to settle in England as quickly as possible and find somewhere to live during the international break.
He is said to be keen to bring five of his back-room staff to Old Trafford from Sporting, which has cast the future of United’s coaching staff – including Ruud van Nistelrooy who completed his four-match stint as interim boss with another win against Leicester on Sunday.
Amorim joined Sporting in 2020 and led them to their first league title since 2002 the following year.
He repeated the feat last season, and Sporting have made the perfect start to the current campaign, winning all eight league matches to open up a three-point lead at the top of the table.
He has delivered wins in 170 (71.73 per cent of his 237 games in charge, drawing 34 and losing 33.
Sporting have scored 514 goals in this period – at an average of 2.17 per game. Meanwhile, they concede 0.82 goals per game on average.
Earlier this week, Amorim told TNT Sports: ‘[It’s been] very tough. The worst and best week of my life. I don’t have another way to explain.
The Portuguese will be Erik ten Hag’s successor after the Dutchman was sacked last month
Interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy remains unclear about his future under the new boss
Amorim will arrive at a United side fresh off the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Leicester
‘Very tough because I’m leaving because I’m leaving a very good place but I’m going to one of the best clubs in the world so it has been very tough but it is what it is.’
Asked how the managing in the Premier League will will differ from his experiences coaching in his native Portugal, the former Benfica midfielder insisted he feels ready to take on ‘the best coaches in the world’.
He continued: ‘I think it’s very challenging but not just Pep [Guardiola].
‘In England, all the best coaches are there, all the best teams it is going to be a different world because in Portugal you have the big three teams and you have a lot of weeks, tough games but you control the games.
‘[England] is a different world. I need that as a coach now but to say I’m looking forward to challenge like that every week, maybe not.’
