Ruben Amorim on Manchester City: They have best team and best coach in world

Sporting Lisbon boss faces English champions in Champions League before joining up with their bitter rivals United next week

Ruben Amorim is leaving Sporting Lisbon to become Manchester United manager. Reuters

Ruben Amorim, who will take over as Manchester United manager next week, has hailed their bitter rivals Manchester City as the best team in the world, with the best coach in the world in Pep Guardiola.

The current Sporting Lisbon manager leads his side into Champions League battle against City at the Jose Alvalade Stadium on Tuesday in what will be his penultimate match in charge of the Portuguese outfit.

Amorim's final match at the club where he has won two Portuguese titles will be against Braga at the weekend before he begins his next job as a replacement for the sacked Erik ten Hag at United next Monday.

But first up, the reigning Primeira Liga champions will tackle the Premier League title holders in Lisbon with both clubs having taken seven points from their opening three matches in the revamped Champions League.

Amorim led Sporting to their first league title in 19 years in 2021 and then won it again last season. He said a defeat against City might even help reduce the inevitable pressure on him when he arrives at Old Trafford.

“The conclusions that people will draw from this match are not important for me,” he said.

“If it's a negative outcome [against City], the expectations will drop. If we win tomorrow, people will think the new Alex Ferguson has arrived and obviously it will be difficult to live up to that expectation.

“I'm not interested in the conclusions people will draw, what I'm interested in is to win the match and then start a new life in Manchester.

“We could have one situation or the other, it could increase expectations. I don't know what is better for me.”

City have won the Premier League title for four seasons running and record 20-time English champions Manchester United last won it in 2013, when managerial great Ferguson was at the helm.

Guardiola lifted the Champions League with City in 2023 and has led United's rivals to six league triumphs. "[They have] the best team in the world and the best coach in the world,” Amorim told Sport TV on Monday.

Manchester City beat Sporting 5-0 on aggregate in the last-16 of the competition in 2022 and Amorim said, despite improving as a coach since then, there is still a gap between him and Guardiola.

“I feel like I'm a better coach [now], unfortunately what I feel is that Pep Guardiola has also become an even better coach, so the gap remains,” he added.

“Pep Guardiola was an inspiration to many of us coaches, as well as others.”

Manchester United paid Sporting £11 million to secure “one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football,” they said after announcing Amorim's appointment.

The Red Devils, currently 13th in the Premier League, sacked Ten Hag a week ago before appointing the 39-year-old to try to bring the club back to their glory days.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will remain as interim manager for United's Europa League game against Greek side PAOK on Thursday before taking charge of his final match against Leicester City three days later – both at Old Trafford.

Amorim will then take over the hot seat with his first game set be away to Ipswich Town on November 24 after the upcoming international break.

Van Nistelrooy is hoping to remain part of the back-room team after his temporary spell as manager comes to an end at the weekend.

“Like I said on Wednesday, I came here to help as an assistant, as a coach and in this bit as well as an interim for a short spell,” the Dutchman said after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea. “Then, again, in any capacity willing to help, so in that sense I’m open for this future.”