Later on Saturday, Ruben Amorim will face off against fellow Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo at Old Trafford and the pair have history.
Portugal is a small place, so the chances that Manchester United’s head coach would have crossed paths with Nottingham Forest’s manager were always high.
Ruben Amorim and Nuno Espirito Santo have lived rather similar careers.
Both played for Portugal’s elite with Amorim at Benfica and Nuno at Porto, before going on quite quickly to manage top sides in the country.
Amorim played with some elite players in his career, but also against them as he and Nuno both enjoyed great success in Portugal as player and coach.
Amorim turned Sporting Lisbon into a sensation, while Nuno managed Porto before then moving to Wolves.
But the pair share one particular event together.
Ruben Amorim, Head Coach of Manchester United, acknowledges the fans following the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Everton FC...
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim embarrassed Nuno Espirito Santo in 2010
Amorim will have fond memories, as back in the 2009/10 season at the Final Taca de Liga Portugal, it was his Benfica side who beat Nuno’s Portugal 3-0.
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In the game, Amorim was a midfielder for the eventual winners, while Nuno was Porto’s goalkeeper – starting the final despite being second choice.
Amorim will have been happy Nuno did start, as in the 15th minute of the game United’s head coach scored.
From range, Benfica’s No.5 had a shot that Nuno calamitously spilt into his own net – which sent Benfica on their way to the cup win.
This will surely be something the pair remark upon when they meet on the touchline at Old Trafford.
Manchester United will hope to leave Nuno red-faced once again
Now, 14 years on from this cup final, Amorim will be hoping to leave Nuno embarrassed once again, but this time by outclassing him from the touchline – just as he did against Mikel Arteta.
United are currently below Forest in the league by three points and a win would be huge for United’s chances of eventually pushing for Europe this season.
Amorim will be looking to name a side similar to the one which scored four past Everton last weekend – which could be concerning for Forest considering they are coming off a 3-0 defeat to the woefully out-of-form Man City.
Amorim won’t have forgotten what he did to Nuno all those years ago and will be hoping to repeat it at Old Trafford.
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