Ruben Amorim left one of his former players stunned after a dramatic U-turn. The Manchester United head coach has already encountered his share of confrontations at Old Trafford, with prominent disagreements involving players such as Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
For the 40-year-old, conflicts with wingers appear almost routine. Brazilian talent Arthur Gomes was left astonished after Amorim seemingly promised him a regular starting berth, only to withdraw that commitment weeks later whilst they were both still at Sporting CP.
Amorim had signed Gomes for Sporting in 2022, captivated by his outstanding performances for Primeira Liga outfit Estoril. At the end of the 2022/23 season, Amorim personally called Gomes to confirm he was “counting on him” for the forthcoming campaign.
Nevertheless, when Gomes returned from his summer break just a fortnight afterwards, the circumstances had entirely transformed as Amorim broke his promise to the player. “I received a call from the club director, who informed me that Ruben Amorim had changed his mind and was going to change the team’s tactics,” Gomes recalled on ESPN’s Futebol no Mundo podcast.
“He told me that I was a player who needed to play and he didn’t see me making a spot in the first team or on the bench. At the time I was shocked. Two weeks earlier he had said one thing and now I’m not going to be used much?”
Frustrated and bewildered, Gomes called Amorim, only to have the manager verify the identical information from the club director. “I said that I wasn’t going to try to change his mind,” Gomes explained. “I thanked him for the time I spent with him and I was going to see what I could do [in terms of leaving].”
A month later, Gomes was transferred to Cruzeiro. Now 27, he represents Dynamo Moscow, determined to demonstrate he can thrive at a top European club.
Gomes’ account reveals insight into Amorim’s approach to player management. At first, the Portuguese manager “showered” him with compliments, enhancing his self-belief and dedication.
However, his tactical U-turn felt like such a betrayal that it left Gomes with no option but to depart.
“My debut [for Estoril] was against Sporting. Ruben Amorim said he wanted me there [at Sporting]. He stated that, since my first game in Portugal, he had never taken his eyes off me,” he recalled.
“When I arrived, on the first day, Ruben called me into his office and said: ‘I’m going to push you every day, demand a lot from you, you’re my bet’. He showered me with praise and gave me a lot of confidence.”
One of the standout moments of Gomes’ spell at Sporting was his Champions League debut, where he came off the bench to score a remarkable goal against Tottenham. “I was ecstatic, very happy to just be on the bench in the Champions League,” he added.
“Amorim called me, I went, and almost nobody noticed I was going to enter because of the euphoria in the stadium. Not even my wife, who was in the stands,” he reminisced. Speaking about the goal, he added: “It was incredible.”