Although Ruben Amorim was overjoyed to have the ideal send-off, he acknowledged that his Sporting Lisbon team was “hurried” and that they were lucky to defeat Manchester City. Sporting had fallen behind early on against City, who controlled the first few possessions and appeared to be preparing to give the next Manchester United boss a harsh reality check.
Viktor Gyokeres, who started his incredible evening with a spectacular finish, had given the Portuguese team the lead at halftime. Sporting scored twice in a short period of time to start the second half off strongly. Gyokeres then scored from the penalty spot to complete his hat-trick.
When Amorim said goodbye to the stadium he had called home for years, it was the ideal conclusion. As he bid the supporters farewell, he soaked up the cheers, but he acknowledged that the game might have gone differently on a different day.
“We were hurried at the start, and the opponent missed a penalty,” he remarked. On some days, certain events must occur, and that is what transpired. I was unable to request another farewell. “It was written on the wall that this night had to be like this,” Amorim continued. We deserved it, and it was truly unique. When I brought up Sir Alex Ferguson and being likened to him, I was experimenting with language. However, during my first six months in Manchester, I will not read anything.
“I want to congratulate everyone for this win. It was a lovely occasion, and I will always cherish these memories. This was the stadium’s way of saying goodbye. On his departing coach, Gyokeres stated: “We shall really miss him. Together, we’ve accomplished incredible feats. He and the other departing staff members will be missed. We must look to the future and tackle the next obstacle that lies ahead.
Prior to the game, Amorim was aware that the outcome would be heightened. Although he had tried to control expectations, he joked that a Sporting victory would make United supporters feel like they had won the lottery. “My focus is on winning the match for Sporting,” he joked. I don’t care about the conclusions since they can be incorrect: if we win tomorrow, they’ll believe that the new Alex Ferguson has come. That will be really challenging. It can raise expectations because I’m not sure what to expect as I embark on my next trip.