Ruben Amorim can’t hide his real feelings when comparing Man Utd to Man City
Ruben Amorim and Hugo Viana have been on the same side at Sporting Lisbon - but will now take on roles at Manchester United and Manchester City and the manager has made his views clear on his new rival
by Samuel Meade · The MirrorRuben Amorim joked that Manchester City are a "hard club to improve" as he addressed his relationship with Hugo Viana - who will soon move to the Etihad.
Sporting Lisbon will lose their manager and their sporting director within a matter of months. Amorim has just been announced as the next Manchester United boss whilst just down the road Viana will take up the role of City's sporting director.
The pair have teamed up impressively in the Portuguese capital, helping Sporting become the dominant force domestically. Amorim insists they will retain a healthy relationship despite having different remits going forward.
The new United boss underlined his desire to take the Red Devils back to the heights they once enjoyed and expects Viana to ensure City continue moving forward - but joked about how difficult that will prove with Pep Guardiola's side so dominant.
He told TNT Sports: “We will be friends until the end, but I have my way and I chose Manchester United, Manchester United is my club, Manchester City is his club. It’s going to be fun, I hope to help Manchester United to improve and he will do the same...it’s hard to improve Manchester City at the moment! I chose my path and my path is Manchester United.”
Viana has been announced as the man who will succeed Txiki Begiristain - who has performed a stellar job in the blue half of Manchester. He was crucial in convincing Guardiola to move to the Premier League and the club have since broken numerous records.
United have spent over a decade in the shadow of their neighbours - who they once ruled over. Numerous managers have been unable to take them back to the summit with Amorim the last man to give it a go.
Several of his predecessors have also been dealt humbling defeats at the hands of Guardiola's outfit. Erik ten Hag lost 6-3 in his first ever Manchester derby and was beaten 3-0 at the Etihad last term. One of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's final games saw City breeze to a 2-0 success.
Amorim's penultimate game at Sporting will be against City this week and he said on the challenge: "For me it is another game as Sporting coach, and I will be judged as Sporting coach. For me he [Guardiola] is the best coach in the world, which I know is tough for Manchester United fans, but I think they are the best team in the world. We are close to qualifying and it is my last home game so that is my focus."
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