Ruben Amorim spotted with Manchester City chief

It’s been almost three months since Ruben Amorim left his role as the head coach of Manchester United and was replaced by former midfielder Michael Carrick on an interim basis.

He arrived from Sporting CP in November 2024 with a reputation of being a trendy manager, one who is wedded to a three-at-the-back formation.

At first, Amorim’s arrival was exciting. Long gone were the days of Erik ten Hag and the Portuguese looked as if he could be the one to return United to their former glory.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, though, as he led the club to their lowest-ever finish in the Premier League (15th) last season.

He also lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in May 2025, leaving an ever-lasting stain on his 14-month stewardship.

In the end, Amorim’s stint concluded with him being the latest manager to fail to hit the heights on the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ruben Amorim, who is yet to find another managerial job in football, has been taking time away from the sport after facing the axe.

In February, though, reports did say that a return to football could be on the cards with Brazilian side Vasco de Gama looking to appoint the midfielder-turned-tactician.

That said, he’ll be in no rush to return to the cut-throat world of football management.

That’s because he can afford to take some time out because his compensation for leaving Old Trafford prematurely totalled just north of £10 million.

Instead, the 41-year-old – who took charge of 63 United matches – has been spotted playing padel at Lisbon’s Padel Expo club with a familiar face.

That familiar face is associated with the club across the football-crazed city of Manchester, though, as he and Hugo Viana still possess a strong bond.

Viana is the current sporting director at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and a picture of the two playing sport together has emerged.

The Padel Expo club posted the picture to their Instagram page with the caption: “We tried to contact you to strengthen our coaching staff, but it wasn’t to be this time!

“Thank you very much for your visit Ruben Amorim and Hugo Viana, it was a pleasure to have you at Padel Expo,” they added.

Despite representing either side of the Manchester footballing divide, the pair maintain a strong bond from their days spent at Sporting CP together.

As well as that, it turns out they also spent time together at Braga during their respective careers on the pitch.

With a beaming smile from ear to ear alongside club regular Goncalo Olveira and Viana, Amorim looks relaxed while enjoying his free time.

The meeting between Ruben Amorim and Viana inevitably has sparked speculation over him returning the dugout.

Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium is unclear – but City wouldn’t appoint Amorim, would they?

Viana may have been responsible for his Sporting appointment but it’s very, very unlikely that he’ll repeat that in east Manchester.