A former Sporting Lisbon chief has taken aim at manager Ruben Amorim ahead of his expected departure to join Man United, accusing him of ‘fantasy’ dedication to the club.
Sporting announced on Tuesday that that Man United plan to pay the €10million (£8.5m) release clause to buy Amorim out of his contract.
Amorim took charge of Sporting’s 3-1 League Cup win over Nacional and faced questions over Man United’s approach post-match.
The 39-year-old is already facing a backlash from some amid the expectation he will leave Sporting after nine matches of their league season to move to the Premier League.
Jaime Marta Soares, the former chairman of Sporting’s General Assembly, has claimed Amorim’s reputation at the club has been tarnished by his impending exit.
Ruben Amorim has come under fire ahead of his likely exit from Sporting to Man United
Former Sporting official Jaime Marta Soares has hit out at Amorim over his mid-season exit
Amorim appears poised to become Ineos’ first managerial appointment at Man United
Soares claimed Amorim’s dedication to Sporting has been exposed as being a ‘fantasy’ and hit out at his exit during the season.
He also took aim at Sporting president Frederico Varandas for failing to prevent Amorim’s departure, which he labelled as a ‘real disaster’.
‘[Ruben Amorim’s] attitude and personality seemed like one thing, but that fell apart from one moment to the next,’ Soares told Radio Renascenca.
‘His love, passion and dedication to Sporting were just fantasy situations.
‘He was the one who created an environment with an entire Sporting fanatic nation around him, who adored and respected him. He shouldn’t have spat in the plate that gave him his soup.
‘I’m a fan of Ruben Amorim, but there are things that shouldn’t be allowed. It was at Sporting that he made his name.
‘If he hadn’t let himself get caught up in the dream of making millions, and since he was adored by Sporting fans, he should have thought about leaving through the big door and not this way. Sporting fans will certainly react.’
Amorim has been accused by some Sporting fans of ‘abandoning’ the club, who he has led to two Portuguese titles.
Man United are expected to pay Amorim’s release clause in order to appoint the 39-year-old
Amorim took charge of Sporting’s match in the Portuguese League Cup on Tuesday night
His exit at the early stage of the season has been labelled as a ‘real disaster’ for the club
The 39-year-old has overseen nine successive wins in the league at the start of this season, while Sporting are also eighth in the new look Champions League league stage.
Back in April, Amorim had issued an apology to the club and its supporters after holding talks with West Ham.
He had flown to England to hold talks with the Hammers while Sporting were on the cusp of claiming the Portuguese title.
Amorim refused to be drawn on his future after Sporting’s win over Nacional on Tuesday, but acknowledged the decision rests with him.
‘Manchester United is interested, but it’s my choice,’ he said. ‘Until everything is decided, we won’t be making any noise. I have nothing useful to say. I will take on whatever I want to do, as I have always done.
‘I don’t want to fuel this issue. There is the club’s statement to the CMVM, apart from that we don’t know the details yet, we’ll see.
‘I have always taken responsibility for my decisions and I will be here to do so, but when I am sure of things it will be easier.’
Amorim made a hasty exit at the final whistle, electing not to wave goodbye to supporters, many of whom were reduced to tears at news of his expected departure.
He acknowledged the anger of supporters, claiming their reaction to his likely exit was ‘natural’.
Several fans of the Portuguese club have slammed his potential departure with some left in tears, and Amorim promised full transparency with the process over the coming days
‘I haven’t even left Sporting yet,’ he said. ‘What I’m saying is that when everything is decided, I’ll come back here to talk about everything and explain everything.
‘Of course they’re [fans] angry. They have a lot of affection for me and my work. People have to feel what they have to feel at this moment. I understand that and it’s perfectly natural.
‘If I have the opportunity, and I certainly will, I’ll explain in detail why I decided one thing or another.
‘I also felt the atmosphere in the stadium. The players themselves also went to the training camp and I felt different.’
