Newly named Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim has confessed that he could have very well ended up at Man City instead of the Theatre of Dreams in a recent interview.
The Portuguese head coach, who is set to take over from United legend and interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy who stood in following Erik ten Hag’s sacking last month, has been admired by many clubs around Europe – most notably the higher-ups at the City Football Group (CFG).
With Pep Guardiola’s contract set to run out next summer and still no indication that he will be signing a new deal, CFG has been looking around for a potential successor and given his impressive start to life as a manager, Amorim has been considered as a strong candidate for a while.
Moreover, since his soon-to-be previous club’s sporting director Hugo Viana is set to replace Txiki Begiristain at City come the end of the season, it was thought Amorim was even more likely to follow suit and now the 39-year-old has admitted that it was an option he considered at point.
🚨🎥 – Ruben Amorim on Hugo Viana joining Man City:
"I chose United.
"Manchester United is MY CLUB, Manchester City is his club. It's going to be fun, and I hope to help United improve."
Speaking to inews.co.uk in the pre-match press conference ahead of his penultimate game in charge of Sporting as they rather fittingly prepare to face Man City in the Champions League, the former midfielder clarified that while the possibility had occurred to him, ultimately, his decision was clear.
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“Obviously, it’s something which crossed my mind but I never had any doubts. My decision has been made, that’s the club I want to work for, the context I want to be in, and where I want to continue my career […] When I decided on the club, I didn’t want anything else.
“It is a decision I thought about but was not undecided about it. I wanted Manchester United and that’s what I did.” That being said, it’s no secret that interest from the likes of Liverpool, West Ham and obviously City has been expressed in recent seasons.
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Despite asking to see out the current campaign, United also made it clear they wanted to secure his services as soon as possible, with Amorim describing the offer as a “now or never” opportunity.
Viana, meanwhile – the 41-year-old sporting director and fellow compatriot with over 300 club appearances as a player – was described as City’s “top target” heading into the New Year by Guardiola himself, insisting that both he and Amorim had impressed him on a coaching and recruitment level.
As seen above, he also reiterated the conviction behind choosing the Red half of the city in a subsequent chat with TNT Sports. You can see his full interview, in which he confesses he “will be friends until the end” but that both their focuses will be to simply improve their respective teams, down below:
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Amorim wished his friend nothing but the best at Man City but insists he must follow his ‘own path’.
Amorim’s record in Europe is one of the marks that has been held against his record in weighing up whether he’s the right appointment for Man United but, nevertheless, he takes on who he calls “the best coach and team in the world” on Wednesday night.
This is Man City and Sporting’s first meeting since 2022 when Guardiola‘s last visit to Lisbon’s José Alvalade Stadium saw his side deliver a 5-0 thrashing over Leões and Amorim was two years into the job.
It will also be his final game at the club’s home ground before his very last game in charge of the Liga Portugal title holders against his former employers, SC Braga, ironically, on Sunday. His first official day in charge of Man United will be Monday, 11 November.
Safe to say if he manages to get a result against Pep and the current Premier League champions it will not only put him in good stead with the Old Trafford faithful but ramp up expectations right from the off. All eyes will be on this game and many will no doubt already be questioning if he chose the right colour.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Agencia LUSA (via WikiCommons)/TNT Sports (via YouTube)
Sport
MCR Basketball to play special knockout game for the 2026 MOBO Awards in Manchester
Danny Jones
Manchester Basketball are set to play an exclusive knockout game here as part of the official MOBOs Fringe events for 2026, with this year’s awards coming to Co-op Live.
There’s a place in the last eight if they can seal a victory, too.
After what feels like a tricky couple of years for Greater Manchester’s main basketball franchise, things look to be on the up for the local team.
Rebrands and rebuilds aside, the Super League side is gradually climbing back up the standings, and with their European North Basketball League (ENBL) campaign still going strong, they could book their spot in the quarters with a win ahead of a big partnered evening in just a few weeks.
Set to face off against Croatian outfit, KK Dubrava, from Zagreb on 10 March, just a couple of weeks before the MOBO Awards get underway in Manchester, the match will be one of several events that the organisation are collaborating with.
With this year marking the MOBOs’ 30th anniversary year and, like with the BRITs, our city set to host it for the first time ever, this special game sets the tone for what’s to come in and around event week.
Fans can expect not just the major red carpet moments, but live DJs spinning hip-hop and afrobeats (courtesy of DJ Kay and special guest, DJ G2), plus a live halftime performance from a MOBO artist.
It’s yet to be confirmed who’ll be popping up centre court, but watch this space…
In case you missed the previous announcements, the 2026 MOBO Awards will see global rap icon Eve and acclaimed comedian and broadcaster Eddie Kadi host the landmark night for the North, not mention lots of other exciting stuff throughout the full Fringe schedule.
Performances already confirmed on the night include rising British superstar Olivia Dean, as well as FLO and Tiwa Savage, with more still to come.
Better still, for MCR Basketball, they also have the Super League Cup final coming up over at the AO Arena next month, too.
Tickets for all of these events are live now and available to purchase as we speak.
However, with prices for Manchester Basketball vs Dubrava, specifically, priced at just £5, we don’t expect these ones to last long.
Once again, set to be hosted on Tuesday, 10 March at the National Basketball Performance Centre over in Belle Vue, the tip-off is set for 7pm; you can secure your seats HERE.
And in case you were wondering what other big competitive events are coming to Manchester, Co-op Live is booked for its first-ever big sporting final.
Featured Images — Peter Simmons/Publicity pictures (supplied)
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Kate Scott praised for impassioned speech following more racism in Champions League
Danny Jones
Football pundit and sports presenter Kate Scott has been met with plenty of praise for her ‘expert’ handling of the fallout following more racism in the Champions League this week, delivering an emotional and impassioned speech about discrimination live on TV.
The Manchester-born broadcaster, formerly Kate Abdo, was serving as the host on her usual CBS Sports panel on Tuesday, 17 February, when the story of the playoff game between Benfica and Real Madrid – which included a worldie from Vinicius Jr. – was overshadowed by more allegations of racial abuse.
In case you missed it, Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making racist remarks by both Vini Jr and Kylian Mbappe, but supposedly covered his mouth so as not to be caught on camera; the match was then stopped for more than 11 minutes.
Speaking in the aftermath amid the following European fixtures the next day, the Withington-schooled journalist and University of Salford graduate delivered an eloquent reaction to the controversy with peak professionalism.
Absolutely pitch perfect, and all those involved in preparing the statement should be applauded.
While Scott herself recognised that it’s a shame we even have to keep talking about issues like these rather than the sheer simplistic beauty of, well, ‘the beautiful game’, her response is an example of the job being done at arguably its very best: factual, ethical, moving and inspiring.
As you can see, Scott goes on to say, “This isn’t Real Madrid versus Benfica – it is right versus wrong. Vini Junior and Kylian Mbappe said that there was repeated racial abuse.
“Gianluca Prestiani said they misheard, but he covered his mouth to hide what he said from the cameras, and hopefully, we can all agree that if what you are saying on a football pitch is shameful enough to have to hide it from the public, then you’re wrong.”
The Portuguese club, which ultimately lost 1-0 in their first leg at home on the night, have released a statement reaffirming their commitment to “equality, respect, and inclusion” but reiterates that they believe Prestiani and feel he is now the subject of a “defamation campaign”.
Conversely, in a definitive and emphatic closing message, she signs off by adding the following: “The racial diversity on a football pitch in the Champions League is the representation of the global love for this game and the global belonging in this game. This is the very spirit of football.
“And if you don’t agree, then respectfully, you are the one who doesn’t belong.”
This is what the Athletic is supposed to be. Telling important stories & giving in depth analysis. I hope this signals that it will be its focus moving forward.
From CBS ‘Golazo’ show being applauded for tackling the subject head-on, to Cross herself being labelled as everything from “a role model” and “a benchmark” to “the best on the planet” in the outpouring of reactions on social media, it’s fair to say they absolutely nailed it.
Sadly, this is one of many recent examples of prejudice being shared publicly across various UEFA tournaments and beyond in recent years, but the only way we can truly help anti-hate initiatives is by continuing to call them out.
Danny Jones -
5th November 2024 
