October 9th 2024.
Pep Guardiola, currently the head coach of Manchester City, is facing the end of his contract at the end of the season. As the club's director of football, Txiki Begiristain, is set to step down after 12 years of phenomenal success, there is now a search for his replacement.
Among the candidates for the role is Sporting CP's head coach, Ruben Amorim, and it seems that Hugo Viana, the former midfielder and current director of football for Sporting, is pushing for him to join Manchester City. Viana, who has a close relationship with Guardiola, is believed to be the leading candidate for the position at City.
Guardiola's contract situation has been a topic of discussion, with no clear indication from either him or the club about whether he will extend his stay. In the past, the presence of Begiristain has been a deciding factor for Guardiola to sign contract extensions, but with his departure, it remains to be seen if the coach will stay on.
If Viana does take on the role at Manchester City, Amorim would be his top choice for the head coach position. The 39-year-old Portuguese coach has a contract with Sporting until 2026, but his success has caught the attention of clubs in the Premier League. He was even considered for the Liverpool job before Arne Slot was appointed as Jurgen Klopp's successor.
According to reports, Amorim would be the "natural choice" to replace Guardiola at City if Viana takes on the director of football role. Viana, who had a successful playing career with 29 caps for Portugal, has been in the football management industry since 2017, and it seems that he is now eyeing a bigger role at a top club like Manchester City.
As for Amorim, his impressive coaching career has seen him linked to top jobs at Chelsea and Manchester United. However, with the possibility of joining forces with Viana at Manchester City, it could be a perfect fit for the talented coach. Viana, who also came from the Sporting youth academy, believes in Amorim's abilities and has even worked with him before at Belenenses before returning to Sporting in 2018. It remains to be seen if this partnership will come to fruition, but it's certainly an interesting development to keep an eye on.
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