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
The Manchester-born clothing brand being worn by some brilliant Northern sporting talents
Danny Jones
Back in 2020, HEX MCR burst onto the casualwear and sporting apparel scene and quickly became a cult favourite not just around Greater Manchester, but within the boxing and combat sports world as a whole.
They may have been away for a little while, but now under new ownership and hoping to venture even further out into the fashion industry than ever, they’re definitely ones to watch.
We wouldn’t quite call it a comeback fight, but they’re definitely starting to make a splash on their return to the scene.
Having been acquired by Craig Chiocci, a Wigan-based entrepreneur who owns a telecommunication company of the same name, 2026 looks set to be the year you’ll see more of their label out and about than ever – in fact, they’re already teaming up with some more British boxing talents once again.
Calvin Moyo wearing HEXThe worker bee insignia is never far away*Adds to basket*HEX hoodies have always been popularCredit: HEX MCR (supplied)
Continuing their trend of backing Northern fighters, in particular, they’ll be backing Doncaster-born boxer, Dave ‘The White Rhino’ Allen, for his hometown bout against top heavyweight, Filip Hrgović.
Allen, 34, will face off against the Croatian pugilist at the Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday, 16 May – donning the latest HEX MCR gear ahead of the fight, of course.
It’s far from the first time their casualwear will have been worn by a well-known face, either; the Manc brand has also been represented by the likes of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star Luke Brassfield – who’ll be fighting at BKFC Birmingham on Saturday, 30 May – as well as plenty of boxers.
Joe Howarth, Kian Hamilton, Liam Carrigan, and many others have all pulled on their hats, hoodies, graphic t-shirts and more.
Crediting the original founders, Luke Powell and Andy Gibson – who started the company as a pandemic project in 2020 – Chiocci said: “They did a fantastic job getting HEX to where it is. It grabbed my attention as I was a consumer first, who simply appreciated the exceptional designs and premium quality.
“Manchester and the North West are a hive of activity at the moment, producing the best creative people who are developing fantastic brands and designs in the fashion industry. HEX is one of those brands that has the potential to truly make an impact.”
Craig has made it abundantly clear that he’s got big plans for the future of the already popular independent business moving forward.
For instance, as part of this revival, they’ve just released a new line of headwear to their clothing range, made more premium than ever and with each piece showcasing the ‘HEX Worker Bee’ logo design on the side panel as a nod to the Northern Quarter and the city’s industrial origins.
Speaking to The Manc, he went on to add: “This is just the start, Dave has been very helpful to us in supporting our growth and seeing our vision for HEX within the Boxing scene, we can’t wait to repay the favour in supporting him in his upcoming fight.
“We think he will surprise a lot of people and get the result. He’s in fantastic shape. We are a brand formed from the back streets of Manchester, and we feel that the brand is suited to fighters who have to show true grit and resilience.”
If you fancy adding their latest stuff to your fits, you can help support a rising local indie by checking out the full HEX MCR collection right HERE.
Their new Hybrid Sports HatActor Adam Thomas wearing HEX(L-R) Dave Allen, Craig Chiocci, Liam CarriganWill ‘Brasshammer’ Brassfield win in HEX this month?Credit: Supplied
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Hex MCR)
Sport
Barca or back home? – Marcus Rashford makes feelings known on his future
Danny Jones
Marcus Rashford looks to have made his feelings on his future at Barcelona perfectly clear in a recent interview after winning his first senior championship and second trophy in Spain.
Rashford, a lifelong Man United fan and Carrington academy graduate, is only on loan at the Catalan club, but Barca does have the option of buying him on a permanent transfer.
A few rumours had been circulating that the newly crowned La Liga champions were unsure about activating that clause; however, these looked to have been largely quashed, and if there was any doubt around whether or not most fans want him to stay, he certainly helped put that to bed on Sunday night.
More importantly, the Manchester-born England international and still-growing European star has said, in no uncertain terms, that he wants to stay at the Camp Nou.
As you can see, during his post-match interviews after lifting the league title with the Spanish giants, Rashford was asked whether he would like Barcelona to sign him full-time.
While he may have acknowledged that the proposed permanent purchase price – said to be between £26-30 million – and his wages (of which Barca are covering in full after he agreed to a 25% pay cut) may still prove to be an obstacle, he would like to remain with the Blaugrana.
Speaking further with BBC Sport, the 28-year-old said: “I always had an admiration for Barcelona, that was my second team, so yeah, it’s a dream to come here, and to win is so important to me.”
He also confessed that finally winning a league title in such a big way, against their biggest rivals, Real Madrid, is a huge moment in his career.
In case you missed it, ‘Rashy’ opened the scoring in the 264th edition of ‘El Clásico’ with an absolute wondergoal that is one to behold from pretty much any angle…
Yeah, as far as worldies go, you won’t find many better than that in his catalogue, though he has scored a few fantastic free-kicks over the years.
Taking his tally for the season to 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions – a fitting figure given it’s the same one as his current shirt number – one of his best overall returns in a few years.
Now well and truly within those ‘prime years’ for a footballer, it’s more crucial than ever that he not just regain his form but maintain, especially with a World Cup looming, so it’s no surprise that he’s looking to continue his journey there.
You can watch the highlights from the latest Clásico clash and title-deciding match down below.
These are the games players dream of playing in, let alone scoring in such style.
Danny Jones -
5th November 2024 
