Ruben Amorim spotted playing padel with Man City chief two months on from brutal Man Utd sacking

Amorim has resurfaced in his native Portugal, appearing relaxed and in high spirits during a visit to the Padel Expo club in Lisbon. This marks one of the few public appearances for the 41-year-old since his 14-month tenure at Man Utd came to an end in January. The former Sporting CP boss was relieved of his duties following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Leeds United. That result, coupled with reported internal friction at Carrington, led the United hierarchy to trigger a £12 million payoff to sever ties with the coach who had arrived with such high expectations.

The most intriguing aspect of Amorim’s outing was his choice of company. He was pictured on the court with Viana, the Manchester City sporting director. The pair share a deep-rooted history, having played together at Braga before Viana later appointed Amorim as Sporting manager during their successful stint in Lisbon.

The sports club celebrated the high-profile visit on social media with a light-hearted post. "We tried to contact you to strengthen our coaching staff, but it wasn't to be this time!" the caption read. "Thank you very much for your visit Ruben Amorim and Hugo Viana, it was a pleasure to have you at Padel Expo."

While Amorim’s final weeks in Manchester were marred by poor results, his reputation among former players remains intact. Matheus Cunha recently defended the manager's legacy during an interview with DAZN.

"I've always been very grateful for everything Ruben did," Cunha said. "I think it's very easy, when things change, to see the past as only problems, but it's quite the opposite; he was an incredible person. Many new players came because of him, so I think he also plays a big part in the success we are having now."

Amorim was also spotted at the Qatar Open last month, where television cameras captured him watching Carlos Alcaraz defeat Karen Khachanov. His presence in Doha caught commentators by surprise, with one noting: "He's got a bit of time on his hands these days. Enjoying the tennis, the former manager of Manchester United."

The former Sporting boss has been linked with several high-profile roles across Europe since his sacking, but he appears to be in no rush to return to the dugout. As the season draws to a close, his name will likely remain a hot topic and his next club will undoubtedly be a matter of debate.

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