Sporting Club de Portugal manager Rui Borges has reportedly unleashed a scathing rant about Ruben Amorim's departure to Manchester United, revealing the hard truths he delivered to the squad after Amorim's exit. According to A Bola, the Sporting boss didn't hold back after Amorim swapped Lisbon for Manchester last year.
The details of Borges' speech emerged following the release of a documentary chronicling recent events at the club. Amorim, who managed Sporting from 2020 to 2024, oversaw a highly successful period, winning three league titles, two cups, and one Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. His impressive record of 164 wins in 231 games earned him a 71% win percentage.
Manchester United's pursuit of a replacement for Erik ten Hag led them to Amorim in November last year, leaving Sporting reeling. The Portuguese club was understandably devastated, considering their success and the strong connection Amorim had forged with the fans.
João Pereira initially stepped in as Amorim's replacement, but his tenure lasted only eight games. Borges took over in December 2024 and has been at the helm ever since, delivering a stern message to the Sporting squad about the former manager.
"Ruben defined an era at Sporting, we don’t shy away from that. I’m a fan of Ruben, we always learn from the best," Borges is quoted as saying. "If he won, it’s because he’s good. He brought Sporting into a winning era, but he won’t return. No matter how much we want him to, no matter how much the members want him to, he won’t return."
Borges emphasized the need to move forward and find new ways to motivate the team. "There’s no way around it; we have to move forward and find ways to motivate ourselves to win. Sporting has won with other players and other coaches," he declared.
The Challenge Ahead for Sporting CP
Can Sporting maintain their success without Amorim? Borges clearly believes they can, but filling the void left by such a successful manager will be a significant challenge.