Ruben Amorim
One of Ruben Amorim's former colleagues has had his say on the new Man Utd boss
One of Ruben Amorim's former team-mates says he's "glad" to see the new Manchester United boss doing well – because it gives his old side Benfica more of a chance.
Jonas Goncalves Oliveira, known simply as 'Jonas', shared a dressing room with Amorim at Benfica a decade ago. They were only team-mates for a year, but that was more than enough time for Jonas to grow fond of the would-be coach.
"He was the first person to welcome me to Lisbon, I remember it like it was yesterday," Jonas said on the Zuca e Tuga podcast. "He told me that I would be a hit at Benfica, that I would do really well there. We have a great relationship, we were only together for one season, but Ruben has always been an intelligent player."
Jonas spent a significant amount of time at Benfica, making 183 appearances for the Portuguese giants across five season. And the 40-year-old is clearly still fond of his old club, because he jokingly recognised that Amorim's departure from Sporting might give Benfica more of a chance in the Premeira Liga, evidencing just how highly-rated United's new head coach is.
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He added: "I'm happy with the success he's having as a coach because he's a great human being. I'm glad he left [Sporting CP], it's good for Benfica."
Amorim, now 39, spent nine years on Benfica's books as a player, though hardly featured during his final few years at the club. He joined in 2008 from Belenenses, and went on to make 154 appearances for the Lisbon outfit. After hanging up his boots in 2017, Amorim turned to coaching - a move that took Jonas by surprise.
"I never imagined that he would become a coach, but when he played he was very intelligent, he had a great understanding of the game. You could tell by the way he thought that he was a different player," he recalled.
Success came quickly to Amorim, and he began moving up the coaching ladder at an alarming speed. He had an impressive stint as head coach of Portuguese third division side Casa Pia, and later managed Braga's B side before being appointed Sporting boss in 2020.
Ruben Amorim (L) spent nine years on Benfica's books
He went on to lead the club to two Primeira Liga titles in four years, as well as to two Taca da Liga titles (Portugal's equivalent of the League Cup). His Sporting sides turned heads by developing a reputation as one of the most tactically intricate in Europe, and it wasn't long before Amorim was being coveted by some of the continent's biggest teams.
His stint at Old Trafford has got off to a slightly underwhelming start. In his first game in charge United could only muster a draw against relegation-threatened Ipswich Town, and had to battle from behind to beat Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in the Europa League in his second.
But if Amorim's managerial record, and Jonas' comments, are anything to go by, United supporters have every reason to be optimistic about their new head coach. Up next is a home clash with Everton on Sunday before a mouthwatering away trip to Arsenal three days later.
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