Ruben Amorim has been one of the most sought-after managers in the soccer world. The Portuguese manager has been a revelation at the Primeira Liga side Sporting CP, where he has impressed with his soccer philosophy.
The 39-year-old employs a very modern and possession-heavy approach to the game that has made Sporting CP one of the most dominant teams in Portugal over the past few years. This has attracted a lot of interest from Ruben Amorim from clubs around Europe, particularly from the Premier League.
🚨🚨| The airplane Rúben Amorim took on April 22nd was paid for by Chelsea for a meeting with members of the board. 🔵⌛
‼️Pochettino is likely to LEAVE Chelsea at the end of the season.
[@pedromsepulveda] pic.twitter.com/sIAnGQrXSk
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) April 30, 2024
It had been reported that Liverpool was interested in signing the Portuguese manager as the replacement for their departing manager Jurgen Klopp. However, the deal never materialized, and ‘The Reds’ have since gone on to sing Arne Slot from Feyenoord.
Chelsea have now emerged as a surprise candidate for Ruben Amorim. The startling news came forth after details of the Portuguese manager’s recent flight to London were revealed. The journalist Pedro Sepúlveda had tweeted that it was Chelsea who had paid for Ruben’s flight on April 22, 2024.
The Portuguese manager has even held talks with the club’s board members, with the West London club keen on recruiting the 39-year-old. This would mean that their current manager Mauricio Pochettino might be fired from the job upon completion of this season.
Chelsea though, has rejected the reports saying the club paid for Ruben Amorim’s flight. Even though the Portuguese’s links with Chelsea, do not appear to be strong, it seems Mauricio Pochettino’s job is in danger anyways.
Chelsea is reportedly considering the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino
The Argentine signed with the 2-time UEFA Champions League winners in 2023 on an initial 2-year deal with an option for a third year. Chelsea was in a transition phase with new ownership, and the surplus of young talent in the club required a coach with a knack for nurturing talents. Hence, considering Mauricio Pochettino’s job at Tottenham Hotspur, the Argentine looked the perfect man for the job.
The Argentine had gotten the best out of many impressive talents such as Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min, Dele Alli, etc. Moreover, his earlier experience in managing in the PL also boasted his candidacy for the Chelsea job.
However, the collaboration between Chelsea and Poch has not worked out. The club is on course to miss out on continental soccer for the second time season in a row, as Chelsea are only 9th in the PL table after 38 games. The club has already lost in the semi-finals and finals of the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup respectively.
The West London club has had a poor form of results in recent times as well, including a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Arsenal. Moreover, Mauricio Pochettino has still not been able to figure out his starting eleven even after one year on the job which has affected the team’s chemistry. Under such circumstances, reports from England have confirmed that Todd Boehly and co. are seriously giving Poch’s sacking a thought.
The only thing saving the Argentine is the fact that he hasn’t lost the dressing room yet. Should Mauricio Pochettino lose the Chelsea team’s confidence, his job at the club should be considered a gone case.
Ruben Amorim apologizes for holding talks with West Ham as the deal falls through
While Pochettino’s job at Chelsea hangs in balance, it is almost certain that Ruben Amorim will be on the move in the summer of 2024. The Portuguese manager has publicly stated that he can’t guarantee staying at Sporting CP in the upcoming season, amidst growing interest in him.
Premier League club West Ham have already held talks with Ruben Amorim over a potential move. However, the deal did not materialize in the end.
Yet, the Portuguese manager has stated that discussing a deal with a different club, while, still managing Sporting CP was indeed a mistake on his part. According to him, this wasn’t done in professional spirit, something which Ruben Amorim himself tells his players to avoid.
🚨🇵🇹 Rúben Amorim on travelling to London to meet with West Ham: “It was a mistake. The timing was completely wrong”.
“I’m always asking my players to be respectful… and I wasn’t — even if I informed the club before”.
“I’m so sorry and I apologise to fans, club and players”. pic.twitter.com/O5YWhZ2gRm
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 27, 2024
He said, “I’m truly sorry. I apologize to the club, players & fans. It was a mistake. The timing was absolutely wrong. I always ask my players to be respectful & I wasn’t, even though I informed Sporting beforehand.”
It was nice indeed on Ruben Amorim’s part to accept his mistake and apologize for the same. The Portuguese manager would now be hoping to win his second league title with Sporting CP by winning the Primeira Liga 23/24 before making a move in the summer.