Ruben Amorim has played it coy when quizzed about the swirling Chelsea rumours after his name was thrown into the hat for the Stamford Bridge hot seat. The Sporting Lisbon gaffer, who’s been on a rollercoaster of speculation linking him to Liverpool and West Ham, has seen those options fade with Arne Slot set to take over at Anfield and Julen Lopetegui in talks with the Hammers.
Once Europe’s managerial golden boy, eyed up for the Barcelona job before Xavi decided to stick around, Amorim’s whirlwind trip to London has tongues wagging. He’s had to say sorry for the jaunt, despite getting the green light from Sporting, but the streets are buzzing with talk that he wasn’t just sightseeing but also chatting with Chelsea reps, as Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure at the Blues hangs in the balance despite a recent uptick in form.
When pressed on Friday about stepping into Pochettino’s shoes, Amorim kept his cards close to his chest, stating: “Everything that needs to be said has already been said. You’ve already created your theories. I don’t have any problems. You stick with your ideas. I’m not going to say why (I went to London).
“I have already told those people who need to know, especially (sporting director) Hugo Viana. I’ll continue forward. I saw that (Vitoria boss) Alvaro (Pacheco) has also had problems with a dinner recently! I guess it’s fashionable to talk about coaches, or talk about clubs that fire coaches and then the next day you link another one.”
The highly-rated Portuguese tactician was referencing dramatic events which saw Vitoria manager Pacheco speak to Brazilian club Cuiaba on Monday, only to eventually turn down their offer and insist that he ‘never had any plans’ to leave, reports the Mirror.
Amorim can’t escape the headlines, though, even with the Primeira Liga title in sight. “I try to be honest with you, but then there are soap operas created saying that I offer myself to other clubs – which is actually funny to see,” the ex-Braga boss continued.
“I try to be sincere with everyone. There are situations in which we try to leave through the front door, and not go through things we have already gone through again. There are also things to think about like if I want to change my life, the age of my children etcetera.”
“I try to be as transparent as possible here. But I guarantee you (when I leave) it will be much more boring. What the fans can expect from me until then is the same as always. I love this club, I always do my best for the club and that will continue. I have a contract and I will continue to coach Sporting.”
