Ruben Amorim wanted to finish the season with Sporting Lisbon but Manchester United told him it was ‘now or never’.
United announced the appointment of the Portuguese coaching sensation on Friday, but also revealed that he would not be arriving for a further ten days.
The 39-year-old’s farewell tour in Portugal began with a 5-1 win at home to Estrela da Amadora, giving Amorim his first opportunity to address some disgruntled Sporting fans over his decision to leave.
“I had a talk with the president (Frederico Varandas) and I said whatever happened this would be my last season with Sporting,” Amorim said in the post-match press conference. “The president is here. He can confirm that.
“The season started, we know that we started very well. and then this situation with Manchester United came.
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“Manchester United appear, they pay above the compensation clause [£9.2million] and the president defends the club’s interests. I never discussed anything with the president about this bargaining.
“The only question I made was only to go in the end of the season. For three days I said I wanted to stay until the end of the season, but then I was told it was not possible.
“It was now or never, or Manchester would go for another option.
“So, I had three days to make my mind up, to make a decision that changes radically my life. But I had three days to make this decision and that’s what I did.
“I’ve had other opportunities – the president and (director of football) Hugo Viana can confirm this. It’s not the first or the second time that I have been requested by another team and I don’t want another team.
“After Sporting I wanted that one, Manchester, and I want that context because that context allows me to do things my way and the club believes me that way. It’s just like Sporting.
“There’s a time when I have to take a step forward in my career. That’s what happened.
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“It was harder for me than to any Sporting fan, believe me, but I had to do this.”
Amorim continued in a lengthy, impassioned first answer press conference: “I mean, let’s not go around the bush.
“There was a club that said that if I rejected it now in six months I wouldn’t get it, and I knew that in six months I will leave Sporting, so I did not want to regret not making this decision.
“I know it was a disappointment to the Sporting fans and not take the risk or wait for the end of the season, and then I wouldn’t have the only club I wanted to coach.
“The president knows about this because I had other offers and I didn’t want them before, but this one I did want so I made my decision.
“But now I go home more happier because I have explained. People say ‘it’s about the money’, but there was another team that wanted to hire me before and they paid three times more than Manchester.”
Fans’ goodbyes began even before the team bus arrived at the Jose Alvalade Stadium on Friday night.
However, Sporting fans were split on Amorim during the manager’s first appearance since his exit was confirmed.
There was a large banner pinned en route which read: “Amorim, this is no longer your home, thank you!!”
However, that didn’t sum up the mood of the entire fanbase.
When the team bus arrived for the match, supporters greeted it with chants of ‘we are the champions’ in reference to their second Primeira Liga title under Amorim last season.
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Once at the stadium, supporters waited eagerly for their greatest coach in a generation, and when he finally walked out pre-match, the stadium rose in applause.
A smattering of boos could be heard, but overall they were drowned out by the admiration for a man who has transformed the club.
On an individual level, some fans went to extraordinary lengths.
Those indebted brought banners of praise, while one fan was even wearing an official Sporting shirt with the manager’s name on the back and the number two to symbolise his number of league titles.
However, among the boos one fan was seen holding a laminated A4 piece of paper which read ‘Amorim Judas’.
Those fans who arrived to the Alvalade upset and angry soon had their moods changed, as Viktor Gyokeres opened the scoring in 19th minute before completing a first-half hat-trick.
The former Coventry star added a fourth after the break before Maximiliano Araujo completed the rout.
