FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Taca da Liga - Sporting CP v Nacional - Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal - October 29, 2024 Sporting CP coach Ruben Amorim reacts REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo
(Reuters) - Factbox on Portuguese Ruben Amorim, who was appointed Manchester United head coach on Friday.
Born: Jan. 21, 1985, in Lisbon.
PLAYING CAREER
* Amorim began his career at hometown club Belenenses, where he played primarily as a midfielder from 2003-08.
* Spent the rest of his career at Benfica, where he won three Primeira League titles, and had loan spells at Braga and Al-Wakrah in Qatar.
* Retired in 2017 after more than a year out of action due to injury.
* Made 14 appearances for Portugal, appearing at two World Cups.
COACHING CAREER
* Amorim started his coaching career in 2018 at Casa Pia in the Portuguese third tier, but resigned after receiving a suspension for giving instructions during a game without having completed the required coaching badges.
* Took charge of Braga's reserve team in September, 2019 and in December was promoted to first team coach replacing the sacked Ricardo Sa Pinto, and in January his side won the Portuguese League Cup.
* Amorim left Braga in March 2020 to take over at Sporting.
AMORIM AT SPORTING
* Replaced the sacked Silas at Sporting on March 4, 2020.
* In his first full season in charge, 2020-21, Amorim led Sporting to their first league title since 2002, going 32 league matches unbeaten. Sporting also won the League Cup, defeating Amorim's former club Braga in the final.
* Sporting finished second in the league the following season and retained the League Cup.
* Last season Amorim won his second league title as Sporting coach.
* Amorim had been one of the managers linked with replacing Juergen Klopp at Liverpool and held talks with West Ham United last season before turning down their offer.
* Sporting lead the Portuguese top-flight standings this season with a 100% record after nine games.
* On Tuesday, one day after United sacked Erik Ten Hag, Sporting confirmed the Premier League club's interest in Amorim and their willingness to pay the 10 million euros ($10.87 million) release clause.
($1 = 0.9200 euros)
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Ed Osmond)
