With the coach suddenly travelling to London for to chat about the job, there’s now a little debate on the potential impact that could have on the Lions’ rest of the season.
On CNN (via Mais Futebol), while Nuno Farinho pointed out that the timing for this trip isn’t great, pundit Bruno Andrade came up in Amorim’s defence, claiming it’s normal that the manager goes to speak to West Ham.
“I’d be very surprised if Sporting were unaware of Ruben Amorim’s trip. I believe that Sporting did know about it and gave the go-ahead, not least because it was Ruben Amorim’s day off, another reason for him to go wherever he wants, as long as he trained normally the next day. It would be bizarre and strange if he missed training because of a negotiation,” said Bruno Andrade.
“But having said that, people need to realise that in modern football it’s natural, especially in the Premier League, for a club to sit down and talk to an interested party, whether by Skype, Zoom or in person. It’s natural for a club to want to look for a new project when the season is already underway. That’s not why Ruben Amorim is leaving Sporting any time soon. It’s not because of this that Ruben Amorim has less focus or more focus on achieving the double. For me, one situation has nothing to do with the other. It’s only natural.”
Even though Amorim’s interview with West Ham was widely reported by the English and the Portuguese media, there’s still no certainty that he’ll be taking that job.
Not only because the Hammers may have other candidates to replace David Moyes, but also because the Portuguese coach may have other options in mind, such as the position at Liverpool, or staying where he is.
Earlier today, Record said the manager could even turn down both Premier League sides.
