Ruben Amorim’s long-time assistant manager Carlos Fernandes has written an emotional farewell message to Sporting Lisbon ahead of his move to Manchester United
Ruben Amorim’s long-time assistant manager Carlos Fernandes has written an emotional farewell message to Sporting Lisbon ahead of his move to Manchester United Ruben Amorim’s long-time assistant manager Carlos Fernandes has written an emotional farewell message to Sporting Lisbon ahead of his move to Manchester United
Ruben Amorim will be joined by his Sporting Lisbon coaching staff at Manchester United after his assistant all but confirmed his exit.
Amorim has left Sporting to take up the United job on Monday, although he cannot yet officially get to work because he needs to secure a work permit. The 39-year-old rounded off his hugely successful time at Sporting with a 4-2 comeback win over Braga on Sunday night, but the club have wasted no time in moving on.
On Monday morning, they announced the appointment of B team head coach Joao Pereira as Amorim’s replacement. And while United are yet to formally announce Amorim’s coaching staff at the club – leaving Ruud van Nistelrooy in limbo – the identity of his team is already known.
Amorim will be joined by assistants Carlos Fernandes, Adelio Candido and Emanuel Ferro, goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital and sports scientist Paulo Barreira at Carrington once United have agreed terms with Sporting over their exits. His right-hand man Fernandes confirmed his exit from Sporting with an emotional Instagram post.
“So many moments that I will cherish forever,” he wrote alongside a selection of pictures from his four years at the club. “There is no other feeling other than eternal gratitude towards those who helped us create something so special: players for whom there are no words, colleagues who became friends and everyone who always supported us. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.”
United midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who worked with Fernandes at Sporting for two seasons before moving to Paris Saint-Germain and United, replied with a heart, as did another Sporting alumnus, Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro.
Sporting winger Francisco Trincao wrote: “The adventure that changed my life… Thank you, we will miss you”. Ex-Sporting defender Sebastian Coates added: “Thank you mister for everything!!! You deserve it for the work you did!! I wish you all the best!!”
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Fernandes is a part of the group who have joined Amorim on a private jet, flying from Beja in Portugal to Manchester on Monday morning. Pictures from Portuguese TV showed the group boarding the flight around 10.45am, with Flight Radar showing they are expected to touch down in Manchester shortly before 2pm.
While Amorim was announced as Erik ten Hag’s replacement on November 1, United have been unable to confirm the identity of his coaching staff. That is because they are yet to agree compensation with Sporting, who had been seeking a sizeable payout.
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Amorim and his staff have won 71 per cent of their matches at Sporting since arriving in March 2020, lifting two league titles and two domestic cups. Fernandes, 29, and Candido, 28, have been part of Amorim’s backroom team at every senior management job he’s had, including Casa Pia and Braga.
“My number two is Carlos Fernandes, he’s been my right-hand man right from day one,” Amorim explained in February 2022. “He’ll be a much better coach than me. I often say if I become Bobby Robson, then he’ll be my Jose Mourinho! But there’s plenty of time, we’ve signed a 15-year deal!”
Amorim’s first match in charge of United will come against Ipswich on November 24. He has hinted that he will implement his favourite 3-4-3 formation at his new club. “I know how I am going to play in the beginning because you have to start with a structure that you know,” he said in his final Sporting press conference. “We don’t have a lot of time to train, so I have to show something that I know very well.”
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