Simply put: back to greatness!
I have shared throughout this page over the last year and something (yes, I’m very proud of keeping the consistency in writing every week over the last 14 months!) my appreciation of Ruben’s methods, communication and approach towards the way he wants his team to play. 

At a certain range, I would almost say gratitude.

Why?

There are many reasons.

To start, because he can put Portugal flag on the map, again, when it comes to Football Coaching.

And, for our country, this is very, very important.

However, in a very remarkable way, he can really do it differently. 

From all perspectives, he’s a game changer!

He has the communicative power, the aggregation method, the football ideas in the right place at the same time he aligns that with the capacity to adapt to the current situation of the Club, the winning record background, and he’s super young.

I will explain one by one.

Communicative Power

In May, I wrote this “Ruben Amorim’s approach was (and still is) kind of a fresh air within the Football industry. All his press conferences seem to be genuinely answered, with no agenda behind, no hidden strategies, deep thoughts or proactiveness efforts to fuel any controversies, etc.”

Honestly, it keeps the same, exactly the same.

Winning or losing.

Aggregation Methods

At all previous Clubs there’s a common ground regarding Ruben’s Values and Philosophy: The group is stronger than any individual! 

And, on this quote, we must include literally all. 

From players and coaches (those from the 1st Team Staff but the one’s on the lower categories as well), medical department, logistics, board and even fans. Ruben mastered the capacity of reuniting a Club as Sporting CP, that was remotely a consistent candidate to win the League to the closest of dominance and supremacy seen in (large) decades. 

Football Ideas

Nowadays, currently at the 5th Season with Sporting CP, the team presents Ruben’s approach at their maximum:

• The team with more goals scored (30)
• The team with the least goals conceded (2)
• The team with the best goal average (+28)
• The team with the best expected goals percentage
• The team with more actions in the opposite’s defensive third
• In Europe, having 7 out of 9 points

In one word: Dominant.

Capacity to adapt to Club’s current situation

In the past, specially when reaching Sporting CP in March 2020, the situation was nothing as I just wrote above. 

On the contrary, the Club was going through another bad path, without consistency in results, in and out of the field. 

And that was nothing new, honestly. 

That has been Sporting CP’s history record for some decades. Ruben was able to understand that, the players that he had, their limitations and needs for the future and the transfer window in the following summer was decisive on his approach to the 2020/2021 season, when COVID-19 hit the world. In a very much defensive approach, compared to the one we can see today, although already setting some pillars that remain until today.

Winning record background

Ruben Amorim has, in Sporting CP, an average of 2.28 points per game and 5 titles! 

If this is not enough, in the previous Club (SC Braga) he had a 2.30 points per game… and 1 title! 

Taking in consideration all I wrote before regarding Sporting CP’s history, and that SC Braga is a Club in clear development over the last 15 years, but with only 6 titles (4 of those after 2012…) we can definitely assume Amorim’s pedigree and winning path.

Young Coach

Regardless of all stated above, we must keep in mind that Ruben Amorim has only 39 years old, and he’s set (hopefully with Abel Ferreira) to be the next flag on Portuguese Football Coaches!Let’s compare that from Portuguese Coaching figures:

• Jose Mourinho (Fenerbahçe, TUR) is 61
• Jorge Jesus (Al Ahli, Saudi) is 70
• Paulo Fonseca (AC Milan, IT) is 51
• Rui Vitória (Panathinaikos, GRE) is 54
• Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras, BR) is 45. 

Internationally, his next opponents at the Premier League:

• Pep Guardiola (Manchester City FC) is 53
• Ange Postecoglou (Tottenham Hotspur) is 59
• Mikel Arteta (FC Arsenal) is 42
• Arne Slot (Liverpool FC) 46
• Enzo Maresca (Chelsea FC) is 44.

Ruben Amorim edge is, here again, greater than the competition.

Finally, Ruben Amorim along with Sporting CP Structure, with the likes of the Sports Director Hugo Viana (already signed with Manchester City FC from next Season onwards) and the President Frederico Varandas, represents the unit needed at a Football Club.

Recently someone relevant in the industry told me that “the problem from people outside of the football industry is that they have no clue of how you implement a winning system, in contrary to any other investment you make in any other business industry, as it takes a lot of time and patience, organization, structure and a mix of luck and expertise”.

Sporting CP had the capacity to align all of that in the last almost 5 years with the leadership of Ruben Amorim.

Good luck to our Special One Version 2.0!
Manchester United just got a new supporter!