Is Ruben Amorim the New 'Special One' in Football?

LONDON - Ruben Amorim made a name for himself as one of the most sought-after young coaches in world football during his time at Sporting Lisbon. However, his latest challenge at Manchester United presents a whole new level of magnitude.

The Portuguese coach, who won two league titles at Sporting, quickly emerged as the favourite to succeed the sacked Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

He will follow the path from Portugal to the Premier League taken a generation ago by Jose Mourinho, then the shining young managerial star, who swopped Porto for Chelsea, naming himself the “Special One”.

But Amorim will be expected to do something that even Mourinho did not manage during his subsequent stint at United - win the club’s first Premier League title since the trophy-filled days of Alex Ferguson.

And he must hit the ground running. United are languishing in 14th place in the English top flight after just three wins in their opening nine games this season.

A challenge for Manchester City’s title already appears out of the question but United chiefs will be desperate to push for a top-four position, which will bring Champions League football back to Old Trafford.

Amorim is 39, two years younger than Mourinho was when he took over a Chelsea side that won two Premier League titles in his first two seasons at the helm.

Other coaches have come from Portugal with big reputations but not all have succeeded. Andre Villas-Boas failed to live up to expectations after swopping Porto for Chelsea in 2011.

But everything about Amorim, who was also linked to the manager’s job at Liverpool this year, suggests he could be something special.

The Lisbon-born boss was a hard-working midfielder who spent the bulk of his playing career at Benfica, where he won a domestic treble in 2013/14 under Jorge Jesus, though he struggled with various injuries.

He won 14 caps for Portugal, appearing at two World Cups, but ended his playing days at the age of 32 following a loan spell in Qatar.

Amorim has described Mourinho as a role model - he spent a short internship with his compatriot when Mourinho was managing United between 2016 and 2018. And Jesus was also a major influence.

Amorim started his managerial career with a short stint at Lisbon club Casa Pia, then in the Portuguese third tier, in 2018.

He was appointed reserve team manager at Braga the following year and just three months later was promoted to first team boss.