Ruben Amorim has reiterated his desire to ‘stay’ at Sporting Lisbon while Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea scour the market for a new manager.
One of Europe’s most exciting young coaches rebuffed the advances of both Aston Villa and Wolves in late-2022, following the sackings of Steven Gerrard and Bruno Lage. With all due respect to the Midland duo, Spurs and Chelsea may appear a damn sight more difficult to turn down.
But not for Amorim.
The 38-year-old former Portugal international knows he is on to a good thing at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, having taken Sporting to their first Primeira Liga title in two decades back in 2021.
According to A Bola, Amorim has serious reservations about linking up with Daniel Levy in North London; the ever-unpopular Tottenham chairman viewed by some as a major reason why the appointments of perennial trophy-hoarders Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho failed so miserably.
Ruben Amorim will not leave Sporting Lisbon for Tottenham Hotspur
“I want to stay here. I’m happy here,” he tells DN. “I’ve seen many coaches move to other championships and not be happy. I value what I have, and I enjoy being at Sporting.
“If I have to leave here, it’s because I was pushed (out) for another reason. But I’m not going to leave the door ajar, because I think Sporting deserves respect.
“If I want to go, I’ll tell the president and (director of football) Hugo Viana.”
Amorim adds that anyone hoping to lure him away from Sporting ‘will have to pay the (release) clause’. One that, at £17 million, would make him one of the most expensive managerial appointments of all time. Albeit some way behind the fee Bayern Munich paid to take Julian Nagelsmann away from RB Leipzig.
Nagelsmann is now one of the leading candidates to take over at Spurs or Chelsea. Ex-Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is another with admirers at both London giants.
“They won the Portuguese league!,” Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola said of Amorim back in February.
“Their manager (Ruben Amorim) is one of the best at the moment. His team is really good.”
Sporting may be well adrift of Lisbon neighbours Benfica in the domestic standings these days, but they did defeat Arsenal in the Europa League thanks to that iconic Pedro Goncalves goal.
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