Ruben Amorim: Portugal's next coaching superstar, tipped for Liverpool
Mourinho was 41 when he left Porto and took over at a Chelsea side poised to dominate English football following Roman Abramovich's takeover. Now Amorim, at 39, is the favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. Other coaches have come from Portugal with huge reputations. Andre Villas-Boas failed to live up to expectations after following Mourinho's path from Porto to Chelsea in 2011.
But everything about Amorim suggests he really could be something special, just as Mourinho famously claimed of himself in 2004. "I don't know if I am going to be good or bad, but that is what I am going to be," Amorim told Tribuna Expresso in 2017 as he confirmed his plan to move into coaching. He had just quit playing aged 32 after a fine career was blighted by injuries.
Amorim has made his name as a coach at Sporting, but he starred as a player for rivals Benfica, the club he always supported and of whom he was a 'socio' (member) from birth. "I can see myself coaching Benfica, or one of the world's biggest clubs. Obviously only time will tell and you need so much luck," he said in that same interview.
Amorim began playing at Belenenses, the modest outfit from the Lisbon suburb Belem of best known for its custard tarts. He worked under Jorge Jesus there, helping them finish fifth and reach the Portuguese Cup final in 2007. In 2008 he joined Benfica, and a year later he was reunited with Jesus. Amorim mainly played at right-back as a team featuring David Luiz and Angel Di Maria romped to the title.
The following season, Benfica were overtaken by Villas-Boas's Porto and Amorim struggled with a knee injury. He needed a long loan at Braga to relaunch his career, and went back to Benfica, and Jesus, in 2013/14. Playing regularly in midfield, A
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