Ruben Amorim breaks silence on if he will replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City

Manchester City’s pursuit of Hugo Viana has sparked rumours that Ruben Amorim might be tempted to join his fellow countryman from Sporting, yet the Portuguese tactician has made it clear he’s content in Lisbon.

Viana is set to make a switch to the Etihad Stadium come summer, stepping into Txiki Begiristain’s shoes as the new director of football. Begiristain, who has been a cornerstone at City since 2012 and played a pivotal role in bringing Pep Guardiola on board as manager in 2016, is preparing to bid farewell after an illustrious stint in Manchester.

As one of Guardiola’s key confidants prepares to depart, questions about the head coach’s tenure at the club have resurfaced. The esteemed manager is anticipated to finalise his plans for the future in the coming weeks.

Should Guardiola decide to part ways with City, Amorim emerges as a potential successor. Despite being linked with high-profile clubs like Liverpool and Bayern Munich, the 39-year-old chose to remain at Sporting this season and has expressed his dedication to his present team.

“No, I feel ready to continue working at Sporting, this year with even more responsibility, because everyone can see that Sporting is on a different level and on par with the others,” Amorim asserted to the press before Sporting’s Friday night cup clash against Portimonense.

“That is also important for our club, we have that feeling, to be seen that way by everyone and to achieve our objectives.”

Amorim emphasised his commitment to his current goals, stating: “We want to win the Portuguese Cup, this coaching team has not won the Portuguese Cup yet, we have decisive games, that is what I feel ready for and for that we have to recover all the players, give them their best, focus them not on other things but on the day-to-day objectives, and so that is what I am ready for.”

When quizzed by journalists regarding speculation linking him to City and how he’d respond if he were Sporting president Frederico Varandas, Amorim gave a candid answer. “Thank God I’m the coach, I resolve the things I know how to resolve,” he declared.

“I don’t know how I would deal with it. That’s why the president is the president and I’m the coach.”

Not only Liverpool and Bayern Munich had shown interest in wanting Amorim, who celebrated clinching his second Primeira Liga title as a manager the previous season. It emerged that West Ham, too, had been curious about a summer hire, having engaged in discussions back in April.

However, Amorim would later own up to missteps before closing the door on a move during the summer break.

“Obviously my trip was a mistake, the timing was completely wrong, it didn’t seem right at the time,” Amorim expressed with regret, also clarifying that Sporting was informed of his talks, ensuring transparency amidst the error.

He acknowledged his mistake, emphasising his standards: “It was wrong, especially when I’m so demanding with my players and always the first to say that each one’s problems don’t go away. They can overpower the team, I have already removed players from the squad for much less. It was my mistake, I have to accept it and live with it.”