Manchester United have officially announced the appointment of Ruben Amorim as their new head coach.
The 39-year-old will make the move from Portuguese giants Sporting CP to Old Trafford on November 11 and has signed a contract that extends until June 2027. This announcement comes as little surprise to most football fans as plenty of experts and several betting providers had been predicting this acquisition since the departure of his predecessor.
Amorim's appointment follows a carnival of speculation linking him with the Red Devils since the dismissal of Erik ten Hag earlier this week.
Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who took charge on an interim basis after Ten Hag's departure, will continue in temporary charge for the club's next three fixtures.
This marks the sixth time Manchester United have appointed a permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson ended his legendary 26-year reign in 2013.
Amorim is set to take charge of his first game with United on November 24 against newly promoted Ipswich Town, after the international break. His first home game will be against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League on November 28.
The announcement regarding who will join Amorim's coaching staff is expected at a later date.
Amorim has caught the eye with his performance at Sporting
After suffering defeat against rivals Porto in August’s Portuguese Super Cup, Amorim led Sporting through an impressive unbeaten run spanning fourteen games.
This comes off of last season when he guided Sporting to the Portuguese Primeira Liga title.
His achievements have grabbed the attention of several of Europe's biggest clubs as he more than punched above his weight, in terms of finances and resources, by outdoing Benfica and Porto on a much higher budget.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Amorim's next task will likely be no easier as he becomes the latest coach tasked with rebuilding the fallen giant that is Manchester United, something which plenty of top-level peers have been unable to do.
Despite inheriting a team currently ranked fourteenth in the Premier League and twenty-first in the Europa League, Amorim arrives at Old Trafford with a reputation as one of Europe's most promising managers and therefore expectations will be high.
His managerial career began in 2018 with third-tier Casa Pia before moving to Braga’s B team. His tenure there was short-lived, lasting only 11 matches before he was promoted to manage the first team. During his time there, he led Braga to their first away win against Benfica in 65 years and secured victory in Portugal's equivalent of the League Cup.
Amorim’s success caught Sporting’s attention who paid a record £8.5m to secure his services from Braga - making him the most expensive managerial hire in Portuguese history.
Sporting's gamble on Amorim paid off handsomely when he guided them to their first league title after 19 years during his debut season.
Despite several high-profile departures, including Manuel Ugarte moving to Paris St Germain, Amorim managed another league title for Sporting last season.
Often compared with compatriot Jose Mourinho, under whom he trained at Old Trafford during Mourinho's tenure at United in 2018, Amorim has been sought after by other clubs too.
Now he will need to use all that experience of winning against the odds in a high-pressure environment as he takes a huge step up in terms of media attention, fan demands and more.
With this appointment, Manchester United fans will be hoping that Ruben Amorim can bring back some much-needed stability and long-awaited success to Old Trafford.
