Rúben Amorim: Liverpool keen on the leader in Lisbon

With the season coming to an exciting conclusion, now is perhaps not the best time to be looking ahead to a new regime – especially with Jürgen Klopp and his most trusted having so much left to achieve. That will not, however, be the mindset of Liverpool’s Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, as they seek to get the foundations in place early ahead of the new season. 

26th January 2024 will forever be etched into the club’s history: it was on this day that Klopp announced his era on Merseyside would come to a close at the end of the season, bringing an end to seemingly the perfect marriage. The curtain is to fall on the most exciting and trophy-laden tenure, but the beginning of a big and new structural change within the club is just around the corner.

Liverpool, having already secured the Carabao Cup, are still hoping to add both the UEFA Europa League and Premier League titles to their trophy cabinet before the current boss takes his last walk out of the AXA Training Centre doors. Whilst there remains much to do on the pitch, FromTheSpot take a look at the frontrunner to take the reigns at Anfield.

Early frontrunner Xabi Alonso recently announced his commitment to his current employer, Bayer Leverkusen. The Spaniard had long been the leading candidate, and this announcement left many scratching their heads at where Liverpool would turn.

It appears, however, that the club had already been running its due diligence on the very exciting 39-year-old Portuguese manager, Ruben Amorim. So what do we know about the leader in Lisbon?

Ruben Amorim started his managerial career at the little-known Casa Pia in the third tier of Portuguese football. Here, Amorim was given a 12-month ban when found guilty of giving instructions during a match without having the required qualifications to do so. This ban was quickly overturned, however, this catalysed Amorim to hand in his resignation shortly afterwards.

In September 2019, Amorim was appointed the new manager of SC Braga Reserves, after rejecting the opportunity to take over as the Benfica U23s coach. After only 3 months, he was appointed as the first team coach, replacing Sá Pinto in the dugout at the Estádio Municipal.

Amorim’s credentials as a coach were rapidly becoming widely recognised and this prompted Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon to activate his release clause – bringing him in as head coach in March 2020, following the departure of Silas.

It was here that Amorim really forged his reputation as a top coach, winning the club their first league title in 19 years, and becoming one of the most highly rated and sought-after managers in Europe. Perhaps most importantly, at only 39 years of age, clubs remain excited by the prospect of further development.

Amorim has, throughout his Sporting tenure, deployed a fluid 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1 formation, with an adaptable back line, encouraging the centre-backs to try and break lines pushing up the pitch. Further up the field, Amorim likes to operate with a fluid front three, seeing players capable of rotating between wide and central positions.

Out of possession, Amorim’s teams are considered relentless in terms of their press – a key feature in his teams’ style and success. Whilst there are some structural differences in terms of set-up, Amorim’s ethos is very much in the same mould as instilled by Klopp, potentially further lending weight towards a more seamless transition for the current group of players. 

Amorim is a man considered to be very charismatic, a real leader of men and widely lauded one of the best when it comes to one-on-one management with his players. Perhaps that sounds familiar?

With Barcelona also very keen on Amorim, Liverpool, if they decide he is the primary target, will need to move quickly in order to get their man. However, with so much for both Klopp and Amorim to achieve with their respective seasons, it would be highly unlikely anything becomes too clear until the conclusion of the current campaign.