Amorim: "Mourinho had a great influence on me"

Six years ago, Amorim interned at Manchester United, learning under José Mourinho at the time. He ended his playing career at 32 and soon after began studying for a Master’s degree in football coaching at the University of Lisbon. During a one-week internship, he visited United’s training grounds and received advice from Mourinho, the head coach then. Amorim credits Mourinho with having the "biggest influence" on him, helping him build confidence. However, Amorim insists that his interactions with the club did not significantly impact his decision to join in 2024.

“I had the opportunity to speak with Mourinho. He’s an incredibly experienced person. The biggest impact he had on me was showing me that he could win everything. He opened doors for many of us. He was crucial for us; we knew his teams would win. As Portuguese fans, we started to believe,” Amorim said.

“This internship was very interesting. After I completed the high-performance coaching program he designed (at the University of Lisbon), he invited me. It was a unique experience, but it wasn’t the decisive factor in my decision (to take on the United head coach role). But it might be the only time I went somewhere as an intern and returned as the first-team head coach.”