As the final whistle sounded, Rúben Amorim walked onto the field, holding his gilet, only to realize that leaving it behind would suit the next few moments better. Setting it aside, he re-entered what had been an exhilarating evening at a lively José Alvalade. His team had let in a goal within the first four minutes and, during a challenging initial 35 minutes, narrowly clung to a one-goal deficit, while Manchester City appeared poised to end Amorim’s era on a sour note. Yet, a remarkable second half saw his team carve out an unforgettable victory against the English champions.
In the aftermath, Amorim’s biggest task in Manchester would be managing the ensuing expectations, and he set to work on that immediately. When asked if he had a message for United’s fans, he promptly replied, “This means nothing. Don’t read into it. We were lucky; it was a one-time thing.” Clearly not one for the spotlight, Amorim’s low-key reaction was one of the few things that went uncelebrated during his emotional final night before heading off to Manchester United. Once he returned to the pitch, he gave each player on both teams heartfelt embraces, savoring the farewell.
Perhaps these embraces kept him from feeling alone, as he stayed close to his players, applauding fans in the stadium’s loudest section. Twice, he needed a nudge to step into the spotlight – much like Josko Gvardiol’s friendly push of Francisco Trincão earlier – to receive a bit of solo praise. His night concluded with three celebratory tosses into the air before he slipped down the tunnel.
Earlier, he’d been the last to emerge from the tunnel pre-match, sharing his first hug of the evening with Pep Guardiola before heading to the Sporting bench. Any hope of avoiding attention ended when a giant banner displaying a simple “obrigado” – “thank you” – unfurled across the stadium. Club president Frederico Varandas soon called him to the field, presenting him with a framed poster. A large portrait labeled “Rúben Amorim” felt an odd gift for the man himself, but sometimes even familiar faces make tricky recipients.
Yet what Amorim likely cherished most was just beginning, as a night that could have been steeped in bittersweet feelings instead transformed into one of pure joy and spirited celebration. Sporting is known for grand gestures, and its pre-match rituals felt more like a concert than a warm-up, with popular anthems playing and a choreographed performance accompanying the scenes.
Over the summer, Sporting had seen their 20-year-olds Abdul Fatawu and Mateus Fernandes leave for Leicester and Southampton, respectively, after minimal first-team experience. In recent years, Pedro Porro left for Spurs, Youssef Chermiti to Everton, Matheus Nunes moved to City via Wolves, and João Palhinha joined Fulham. Sporting’s director of football, Hugo Viana, is set to join City by season’s end, and now Amorim follows the same path. The Premier League is skilled at spotting promising talent, closing in, and plucking away the most coveted assets.
LOOK AT THE LOVE THESE SPORTING PLAYERS HAVE FOR AMORIM! 🥹💚 pic.twitter.com/rGnnPtc1FB
— Frank🧠🇵🇹 (fan) (@AmorimEra_) November 5, 2024
Ruben Amorim’s last home match as manager of Sporting. 💚 pic.twitter.com/A2ZGvC4ifi
— Suyi (@mac_shad) November 5, 2024
Sporting CP performance and stats
Sporting CP
Sporting CP is currently 2nd in the Champions League with 10 points.
In the last 4 games, it has won 3 times and drew once. In its last match, Sporting CP won 4-1 against Manchester City.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 9 goals and conceding 2.
