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Rúben Filipe Marques Amorim (; born 27 January 1985) is a Portuguese professional football
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...
and former
player Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who ...
who is the current manager of Primeira Liga club
Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal, founded Sporting Club de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP, often known abroad as Sporting Lisbon , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Lisbon. It is best known for the professional foot ...
. Amorim played in his career as a
midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, spending most of his professional career with Belenenses and Benfica, signing with the latter in 2008 and going on to win ten major titles, including three league titles, one
Taça de Portugal The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 sea ...
, five Taças da Liga and one
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira The Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (; English: Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, or simply Portuguese Super Cup) is an annual Portuguese football match played since 1979 between the winners of the Portuguese League (Primeira Liga) and Portuguese ...
. He represented
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
in two
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
s, earning a total of 14
caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Ja ...
. Upon retiring in 2017, he began his coaching career at
Casa Pia :''This article refers to the institution. For the child abuse scandal, see Casa Pia child sexual abuse scandal.'' The Casa Pia is a Portuguese institution founded by Maria I, known as ''A Pia'' ("Mary the Pious"), and organized by Police Intendan ...
in 2018, before resigning in 2018, amid a dispute with the
Portuguese Football Federation The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) ( pt, Federação Portuguesa de Futebol; ) is the governing body of football in Portugal. The federation was formed in 1914 as Portuguese Football Union (UPF) by the three existing regional associations ...
(FPF). He was appointed as head coach at Braga B, before taking charge of the first team in December 2019, winning the 2020 Taça da Liga. In March 2020, Amorim was appointed manager of
Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal, founded Sporting Club de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP, often known abroad as Sporting Lisbon , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Lisbon. It is best known for the professional foot ...
for a managerial transfer worth €10 million (£8.65 million), becoming the fourth-most expensive manager ever. He guided the club to a
double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...
of the Taça da Liga and the Primeira Liga, ending the latter's 19-year league title drought. These achievements won him the Primeira Liga's Manager of the Year award in 2021.


Club career


Belenenses

Born in Lisbon, Amorim made his debut in the Primeira Liga on 14 December 2003, playing one minute for hometown club Belenenses in a 2–0 home win against Alverca. From 2005–06 onwards, he became a regular. In the 2007–08 campaign, Amorim started in 28 of his 29 league appearances (2,491 minutes of action) and helped his team finish in eighth position.


Benfica

In late April 2008, Amorim signed a four-year deal with Benfica after his Belenenses contract expired. During his first season he was a regular starter, scoring his first goal on 23 November in a 2–0 away victory over Académica de Coimbra. Competing with new signings
Javi García Francisco Javier "Javi" García Fernández (; born 8 February 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who is an assistant manager for Benfica. A defensive midfielder by nature, he could also appear as a central defender. He started ...
and
Ramires Ramires Santos do Nascimento (; born 24 March 1987), known as Ramires, is a Brazilian former professional footballer. A midfielder, he was comfortable playing in either the centre or right midfielder position. He normally played as a box-to-b ...
, Amorim appeared less in 2009–10, but still featured prominently (24 matches with ten starts) as the side won the league – and the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
– after a five-year drought. When healthy, he was again regularly used by manager
Jorge Jesus Jorge Fernando Pinheiro de Jesus (; born 24 July 1954) is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe. He started his career with Sporting CP, going on to play for 1 ...
in the 2010–11 season. On 19 January 2011, however, after undergoing surgery on both knees, he was sidelined for several months. In early October 2011, whilst on duty with the
national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
, Amorim criticised Jesus' preferences – Benfica played most of their games without a single Portuguese player. Increasingly disgusted with his plight, in December, he refused to train with the bench players – after warming up for several minutes only to not be used – following a game against Rio Ave, being subjected to the club's disciplinary proceedings; on 30 January 2012, a loan was arranged with Braga until June of the following year. In 2013–14, Amorim returned to the
Estádio da Luz The Estádio da Luz (), officially named Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is used mostly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, it ...
and played 37 matches across all competitions, helping to win an unprecedent treble of
league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
,
Taça de Portugal The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 sea ...
and Taça da Liga. At the beginning of the following campaign, he featured the full 120 minutes to help his team defeat Rio Ave in the
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira The Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (; English: Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, or simply Portuguese Super Cup) is an annual Portuguese football match played since 1979 between the winners of the Portuguese League (Primeira Liga) and Portuguese ...
, thus winning four titles in 2014. On 24 August, however, he got severely injured while playing on an artificial turf at Boavista, with news the next day reporting an anterior cruciate ligament injury; he was sidelined until 11 February 2015, when he featured as a substitute in a 3–0 home defeat of
Vitória de Setúbal Vitoria or Vitória may refer to : People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Steven Vitória ...
in the semi-finals of the domestic league cup. On 14 August 2015, Amorim joined
Al-Wakrah Al Wakrah ( ar, الوكرة, al-Wakra) is the capital city of the Al Wakrah Municipality in Qatar. Al Wakrah's eastern edge is the shores of the Persian Gulf and Qatar's capital Doha is situated to the city's immediate north. Governed by Sheikh ...
in Qatar on a
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...
-long deal. On 4 April 2017, after more than a year of inactivity, the 32-year-old terminated his contract with Benfica and retired.


International career

Amorim appeared for
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
at the
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It was the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Championship. Summary For the first time, a host nation was chosen ahead of the competition – the Neth ...
in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, as the national side eventually lost to
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
for the final berth for the following year's Summer Olympic Games. On 10 May 2010, although not part of the senior squad's list of 23 for the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, he was named in a backup list of six players. On 8 June, he replaced Nani after the Manchester United player sustained a
clavicle The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the r ...
injury which ruled him out of the finals in South Africa. His senior debut came on the 15th, as he played the last five minutes of the group stage opener against Ivory Coast (0–0) in the place of
Raul Meireles Raul José Trindade Meireles (; born 17 March 1983) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a midfielder. After starting out at Boavista, he signed with Porto in 2004, going on to appear in 198 official games and win ten major trophie ...
. Amorim was also selected by new manager
Paulo Bento Paulo Jorge Gomes Bento (; born 20 June 1969) is a Portuguese football manager and former player. A defensive midfielder with tackling ability and workrate as his main assets, he played for two of the major three teams in his country, amassin ...
for the
2014 World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
. He made his debut in the tournament on 26 June in the last group phase match against
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, featuring the full 90 minutes in the 2–1 win but seeing his team eliminated on goal difference.


Style of play

Amorim's style was similar to countryman Tiago, with both playing the same position, operating in central midfield, both defensive and offensive (Amorim, however, was also able to play as a
right back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
).


Coaching career


Early career

Shortly after retiring, Amorim joined the
Lisbon Football Association The Lisbon Football Association (''Associação de Futebol de Lisboa'', abrv. ''AF Lisboa'') is the district governing body for the all football competitions in the Portuguese district of Lisbon. It is also the regulator of the clubs registered in ...
in order to earn a coaching licence. Additionally, he attended a postgraduation course in psychomotor education. Amorim started working as a manager in 2018–19, with third division team
Casa Pia :''This article refers to the institution. For the child abuse scandal, see Casa Pia child sexual abuse scandal.'' The Casa Pia is a Portuguese institution founded by Maria I, known as ''A Pia'' ("Mary the Pious"), and organized by Police Intendan ...
. In January 2019, the team were deducted six points and he was suspended from all activity for one year after giving instructions during a match without having the required coaching level to do so; even though the bans were suspended shortly after, he presented his resignation in the aftermath. On 20 May 2019, Amorim initially agreed to return to Benfica as their under-23 coach. The following month, however, after a meeting at the club, he rejected that possibility.


Braga

In mid-September 2019, Amorim was appointed at Braga's reserves in the third tier. Three months later, he replaced the dismissed
Ricardo Sá Pinto Ricardo Manuel Andrade e Silva Sá Pinto (born 10 October 1972) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a forward, currently manager of Persian Gulf Pro League club Esteghlal. He was known for his fighting spirit, best displayed in hi ...
at the helm of the first team on a two-and-a-half-year contract, with the ''Minhotos'' being eighth place in the league at the time of his appointment. In his first game in charge on 4 January, he led them to a 7–1 away demolition of Belenenses SAD, and three weeks later won the domestic league cup final against
Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
with a
last-minute goal The term "last-minute goal" is used in sport, primarily association football, to describe a goal scored very late in a game, usually one that affects the outcome of the game. The definition of a "last-minute goal" commonly used is one scored either ...
from
Ricardo Horta Ricardo Jorge da Luz Horta (; born 15 September 1994) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Primeira Liga club Braga and the Portugal national team. He spent most of his career with Braga after coming through ...
. In the Primeira Liga, on 15 February, Amorim recorded Braga's first win away to Benfica in 65 years, with João Palhinha scoring the game's only goal. He lost his first point in the league, after Braga drew 2–2 at home to
Gil Vicente Gil Vicente (; c. 1465c. 1536), called the Trobadour, was a Portuguese playwright and poet who acted in and directed his own plays. Considered the chief dramatist of Portugal he is sometimes called the "Portuguese Plautus," often ref ...
. Amorim only lost two games for the club, in the round of sixteen of the
2019–20 UEFA Europa League The 2019–20 UEFA Europa League was the 49th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 11th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. Sevilla defeated Inter Milan in the fin ...
against Rangers, 3–2 away in the first leg and 1–0 on the return leg at home.


Sporting CP


2019–20: Debut season

Amorim became
Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal, founded Sporting Club de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP, often known abroad as Sporting Lisbon , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Lisbon. It is best known for the professional foot ...
's manager on 4 March 2020 after the sacking of
Silas Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey. Name and ...
, signing a deal until 30 June 2023 with a
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...
20 million buyout clause. Despite only having two months of top-flight experience, Sporting paid €10 million for his services, the third-highest transfer fee for a manager in history. In his first game in charge on 8 March, he led them to a 2–0 home win against Desportivo das Aves. In the rest of the games he took over, Amorim won six and drew three, but lost to Benfica in the
Derby de Lisboa The Derby de Lisboa or Dérbi de Lisboa (English: Lisbon derby) is a football derby match in Portugal. It is played between Lisbon clubs Benfica and Sporting CP, two of the most decorated clubs in Portugal. The rivalry originated in 1907 when e ...
and
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
at the end of the season, guiding Sporting to a fourth-place finish and qualification to the Europa League third qualifying round. Despite their finish, Amorim managed to bring an recognisable identity that the club had previously been lacking.


2020–21: Sporting's first league title in 19 years

In the summer transfer window,
Jérémy Mathieu Jérémy Mathieu (born 29 October 1983) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or a left-back for Régional 2 club Luynes Sports. Mathieu made 172 Ligue 1 appearances across seven seasons, split equally between Sochaux ...
retired after suffering a knee injury in training, and was replaced by
Zouhair Feddal Zouhair Feddal Agharbi (; born 23 December 1989) is a Moroccan professional association football, footballer who plays for the Morocco national football team. Mainly a central defender, he can also appear as a left-back or defensive midfielder. ...
. Rodrigo Battaglia, Miguel Luís,
Luciano Vietto Luciano Darío Vietto (; born 5 December 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal. Club career Early career Vietto was born in the small town of Balnearia in the Province of Córdoba. He joi ...
, Wendel, and Marcos Acuña departed from the club. Experienced goalkeeper
Antonio Adán Antonio Adán Garrido (; born 13 May 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Primeira Liga club Sporting CP. A youth product of Real Madrid, where he acted mainly as a backup, he spent most of his career with ...
was brought in as the new first-choice goalkeeper, with other signings including Nuno Santos,
Bruno Tabata Bruno Vinícius Souza Ramos, known as Bruno Tabata (born 30 March 1997) is a Brazilian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Qatar on loan from Palmeiras. Club career Early career Born in Ipatinga, Tabata began playing at local cl ...
, Pedro Porro, João Mário and João Palhinha, the last returning from his loan at Braga. At the end of the transfer window, Sporting signed Pedro Gonçalves, who had impressed in the previous season at Famalicão. Along with the new signings, Amorim promoted Daniel Bragança, Gonçalo Inácio, Matheus Nunes, Nuno Mendes and Tiago Tomás to the first-team squad. On 23 January 2021, Amorim won his second consecutive league cup final, against his previous club; both he and Braga manager Carlos Carvalhal were sent to the stands for arguing with each other. On 4 March, he renewed his contract for one more year, with an improved release clause of €30 million. Following a national record of a 32-match unbeaten-streak, including on 11 May, a 1–0 home win against Boavista, he guided the club to their first league title triumph in 19 years, with Pedro Gonçalves finishing as the top scorer of the league with 23 goals and six Sporting players being named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year. Sporting only had one loss, during the season, being defeated by rivals Benfica 4–3 away in the
Derby de Lisboa The Derby de Lisboa or Dérbi de Lisboa (English: Lisbon derby) is a football derby match in Portugal. It is played between Lisbon clubs Benfica and Sporting CP, two of the most decorated clubs in Portugal. The rivalry originated in 1907 when e ...
on 15 May. At the end of the season, Amorim was named Primeira Liga's Manager of the Month in April and the Primeira Liga's Manager of the Year.


2021–22: European improvement and runner-up finish

In his second summer transfer window, Amorim identified the defensive areas which required improvement for the squad, with his options being shorter than Sporting's domestic rivals, leading
Ricardo Esgaio Ricardo de Sousa Esgaio (; born 16 May 1993) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Sporting CP as a right-back. Club career Sporting CP Born in Nazaré, Leiria District, Esgaio joined Sporting CP's youth system at the age of 12, ...
to return to the club, midfielder Manuel Ugarte and defender Rúben Vinagre also being signed. After remaining as a back-up to Antonio Adán, Luís Maximiano was sold to Spanish
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men' ...
side Granada, which in turn led to Sporting signing
João Virgínia João Manuel Neves Virgínia (born 10 October 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Eredivisie club Cambuur, on loan from Premier League club Everton. Club career Born in Faro on the Algarve, Virgínia be ...
. At the end of the transfer window, starting left-back Nuno Mendes was loaned to
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
, with
Pablo Sarabia Pablo Sarabia García (; born 11 May 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Spain national team. Mainly an attacking midfielder, he can also play as a right winger. After pl ...
moving in the other direction. Amorim began his second season at Sporting by winning the
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira The Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (; English: Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, or simply Portuguese Super Cup) is an annual Portuguese football match played since 1979 between the winners of the Portuguese League (Primeira Liga) and Portuguese ...
, on 31 July 2021, in the 2–1 defeat of his former club Braga. After losing their first two Champions League group games, Sporting won their next three matches, culminating on 24 November when they defeated
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...
3–1 at home in the penultimate fixture to ensure the club's qualification to the round of sixteen, for the first time since the 2008–09 season. On 28 November, Amorim became the fastest manager to win 50 games in the Primeira Liga, following a 2–0 home win against
Tondela Tondela () is a municipality in the central Portuguese subregion of Dão-Lafões. The population in 2011 was 28,946, in an area of 371.22 km². History Local writer and intellectual Amadeu Ferraz de Carvalho (1876–1951) wrote of the mun ...
. On 3 December, he led his squad to their first victory at the
Estádio da Luz The Estádio da Luz (), officially named Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is used mostly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, it ...
in six years, following a 3–1 away defeat of rivals Benfica in the Derby de Lisboa. On 29 January 2022, Amorim won his third consecutive league cup final, in a 2–1 victory against Benfica. Sporting were eliminated in the last 16 of the Champions League by Manchester City, 5–0 on aggregate, knocked out of the Taça de Portugal in the semi-finals by Porto, and finished the league season on 85 points as the year before, but six points behind aforementioned rival.


2022–23: European and domestic disappointment

The following season, Sporting endured a disappointing start to the season, including a 3–3 away draw to Braga and two consecutive losses to Porto (3–0) and Chaves (2–0), with the side being placed 13th in the league table, following the departure of key players João Palhinha and Matheus Nunes to
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
sides Fulham and
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
, respectively. Referring to the departures of both players, Amorim said "I, as a coach, failed to plan ummer transfer window What we have to pay attention to now, in this end of the market, is to be sure where we are going, not to think that we have to save now everything that we changed in a one-year planning". Despite their league form, on 7 September, Sporting won in Germany for the first time in their history, beating
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
champions
Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The team is currently playing in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the Germa ...
3–0 in their first group stage match of the
2022–23 UEFA Champions League The 2022–23 UEFA Champions League is the 68th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 31st season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. The final will ...
, followed by surprising victory at home over
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
in their next fixture. The following group stages matches, were marked by two individual errors from Antonio Adán and
Ricardo Esgaio Ricardo de Sousa Esgaio (; born 16 May 1993) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Sporting CP as a right-back. Club career Sporting CP Born in Nazaré, Leiria District, Esgaio joined Sporting CP's youth system at the age of 12, ...
, which saw them lose twice to
Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
4–1 and 2–0, respectively, with Esgaio coming through to a lot of scrutiny, from the club supporters, which led to Amorim defend him saying "He's not one of the fans' favorite players, but he's one of mine. As long as I am here, I will protect him as much as possible. He will never be abandoned by the manager and as long as I'm here there's nothing you can do to Esgaio". Both losses, were followed by a surprise elimination from the
third round Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...
of the
Taça de Portugal The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 sea ...
to Liga 3 side Varzim, after a narrow 1–0 loss. After losing 2–1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on 1 November, Sporting finished third in the
group stage A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
, which put them in the
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
knockout round play-offs A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
.


Tactics

Amorim is known for his communication skills, and tactical knowledge and flexibility. During his tenure with Sporting, Amorim primarily played a 3–4–3, with two midfielders usually João Palhinha and Matheus Nunes, being responsible for protecting the defense, and emphasize the attacking capabilities of the wing-backs Pedro Porro and Nuno Mendes. When defending in a low block, Sporting’s players stay behind the line of the box in order to keep a compact shape, prevent any potential shots from the edge of the box, and limit attacking opportunities. Amorim's team utilizes an intense pressing style and attempts to win the ball back in the final third. Amorim's team use interchanging movements to distract the opposing defenders and create space for the attackers to exploit. They focus on exploiting the wings and half-spaces with Pedro Gonçalves playing inside with
Pablo Sarabia Pablo Sarabia García (; born 11 May 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Spain national team. Mainly an attacking midfielder, he can also play as a right winger. After pl ...
and Nuno Santos sticking to the left side of the attack. The number 9, usually Paulinho, is the only player who tends to act in terms of pressing the ball and slowing the progression of the opposition, looking to create a space in the defensive line of the opposition that can be quickly attacked, in order to allow the man in possession initially to look for a vertical passing option. Amorim has also a 3–4–3 diamond formation with three mobile defenders; plus one more covering space – becoming, in effect, a defensive midfielder, two "controlling" midfielders with responsibilities to feed the attack-minded players, one second striker, two touchline-hugging wingers and one versatile centre forward.


Personal life

Amorim's cousins,
David Simão David Martins Simão (born 15 May 1990) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Primeira Liga club F.C. Arouca. Club career Born in Versailles, France, Simão played most of his youth career at S.L. Benfica, ha ...
and Bruno Simão, are also professional footballers.


Career statistics


Club


International


Managerial statistics


Honours


Player

Benfica * Primeira Liga: 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15 *
Taça de Portugal The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 sea ...
: 2013–14 * Taça da Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10,
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
, 2013–14, 2014–15 *
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira The Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (; English: Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, or simply Portuguese Super Cup) is an annual Portuguese football match played since 1979 between the winners of the Portuguese League (Primeira Liga) and Portuguese ...
:
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
*
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
runner-up: 2013–14 Braga *Taça da Liga:
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...


Manager

Braga *Taça da Liga: 2019–20 Sporting *Primeira Liga: 2020–21 *Taça da Liga: 2020–21, 2021–22 *Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira:
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
Individual * Primeira Liga's Manager of the Month: February 2021, April 2021, October/November 2021 * Primeira Liga's Manager of the Season:
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...


References


External links

* *
National team data
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Amorim, Ruben 1985 births Living people Footballers from Lisbon Portuguese footballers Association football midfielders Association football utility players Primeira Liga players Liga Portugal 2 players C.F. Os Belenenses players S.L. Benfica footballers S.C. Braga players S.L. Benfica B players Qatar Stars League players Al-Wakrah SC players Portugal youth international footballers Portugal under-21 international footballers Portugal B international footballers Portugal international footballers 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2014 FIFA World Cup players Portuguese expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Qatar Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Qatar Portuguese football managers Primeira Liga managers S.C. Braga managers Sporting CP managers