Amorim's Farewell Press Conference: "Sorry for making the decision during the season, but I want to follow my own path."

Amorim's farewell match for Sporting CP saw his team come back from a 0-2 deficit at halftime to score 4 goals in the second half and defeat Braga! After the match, Amorim attended his final press conference as Sporting CP's coach.



Reporter: "What are the things you have said during these four and a half years that have never been expressed in your eyes?"

Amorim: "It’s hard to sum up at this moment. Thank you for your words. This has been an incredible journey. I always felt certain of everything, but there were many moments of doubt. A lot of people helped me. I’ve been in a very special environment. It was hard when I first came, but also very special. I know it would be difficult to replicate everything from here elsewhere, but there are other places with different exposures and pressures. I want to thank Sporting CP's fans. In fact, I should be the one saying thank you. This has been a wonderful adventure. I gave my best. I made some mistakes and was stubborn at times, but I always thought about the team. I can say with a clear conscience that the team always came first. Except for the mistakes at the end of last season, this is the only time I thought about myself. I had to make that decision. So, thank you, everyone. I apologize for making this decision in the middle of the season, but I feel like it's my time, and I want to follow my own path. In this situation, I need to be fully committed. Thank you for the support, but we need to keep moving forward. In the next matchday, we can make history with the best start ever, there’s still a lot to do."

Reporter: "Your presence in Portuguese football has made our work much easier over the last few years, so thank you. What happened during halftime? What did you say to the players? Did they want to win for you on your last day?"

Amorim:"First of all, thank you for the compliments. I must say again that I’ve always felt a great deal of respect, which is very important. It’s been a pleasure to work with everyone, and it’s mutual. What happened? Some things are hard to explain. Maybe some players came on and entered the game in the second half, which was very special, much better than Tuesday. That’s what happened. Over the last four years, everyone who came here played, we couldn’t lose this game. I’ve won titles for my beloved club, but this moment is unbelievable, even better than Tuesday. It means a lot to me. We all walked into that stadium together."

Reporter: "From now on, will you occasionally send messages to the players?"

Amorim: "No, I’ll support them, but they will have another coach. I will have my job and my players. From tomorrow, I’ll wear a different shirt, still the same person, just with a different team. I’ll build a connection with them, work on understanding my players, and focus on my work. But I will cheer for Sporting CP. The coaching of this team is well done and doesn’t need my help. I just hope they make it to Marques Square, because I also want to win that championship..."

Reporter: "People have been talking about your departure and the impact it will have on Sporting CP and Portuguese football. What legacy have you left for Portuguese football? Do you think things will be worse without you?"

Amorim: "I’m also a product of Portuguese football, and I’m very proud of that. I grew up in this football environment. I’m a Benfica fan, but clubs like Sporting CP have such importance, and I’ve handled it in a healthy way. But I could do this because Sporting CP's fans also handled it well—except for the initial resistance. I made some mistakes at the start because I was nervous, anxious, and complaining about referees. I also went through these issues. You’ve always respected me. During tough times, we couldn’t read anything. I think this should be a model for coaches, especially young ones, who often get obsessed with social media. That’s crucial. I’ve always been proud to belong to Portuguese football, and I love my country. What frustrates me the most is having to sell players, which has really bothered me. We have these limitations in Portugal. It’s easy to say now because I’m leaving, but the budget gap between big and small teams has a huge impact on the league. This needs to be addressed. If we don’t develop, it will get worse. It’s an example of people who love their work, respect everyone’s job, focus on their task, and eventually get lucky. I don’t know if I’m a model, but I’ve tried to face everything in the best way and enjoy it."

Amorim laughs:"Is Porto scoring a goal while their team song is playing?"

Reporter: "If Manchester United offers you 80 million euros, would you sign Hader or ask for a discount for Jørgensen?"

Amorim: "We can’t go somewhere and try to copy what happened here. Every league is different, and I haven’t reached that point yet. I don’t know what the team needs. I don’t know what will happen. Jørgensen is a special player, and Hader will take his place, but I don’t know when. The club is happy."

Reporter: "How do you feel about going to England?"

Amorim: "I’m very happy. It’s great. I feel ready for this new challenge. I’m not naive, I know it will be very different, very difficult. But now I’m calm, ready to focus on my new job, and looking forward to tomorrow."

Reporter:"Since the rumors about Manchester United, Sporting CP has conceded five goals. Is it because the team has become more emotional? Or is this something the next coach can improve?"

Amorim: "Everything can be improved. If we look at the goals we conceded... We must focus on every match and every opportunity. Today, we didn’t let Braga create many chances. They almost scored on every visit. We must recognize that some goals could have been avoided. If we look at the Man City game, thank God for the goalkeeper. In the first half, we should have been under more pressure. Against Amadora, we struggled with defensive depth, and I think Diomande needs to improve on that. Our training time is limited. We must focus on every match to see what can be avoided, but sometimes this happens. Sometimes we don’t concede goals, but when reviewing the match, we feel like we should have conceded."

Reporter: "Has Salvador (Braga's president) talked to you, or is it something that will happen soon? If you could choose to have lunch with Ferguson, Ferdinand, or Cantona, who would you choose?"

Amorim: "Good question. About President Salvador, we sometimes message each other... I owe him a lot, and we’ve always gotten along well. I also played here, but at this stage, we haven’t had a face-to-face conversation. As for lunch or dinner... it’s tough. Sir Ferguson is a very special person, and he’s above everyone at the club. Choosing one of them would be hard. I’ll try to have lunch or dinner with each of them."

Reporter: "Now that this cycle is over, what’s your overall assessment of the 3-4-3 formation you started with and the one you ended with? What were the main changes?"

Amorim: "If I had to summarize, the mobility of the defenders has changed completely. The changes between opening and closing positions, we improved a lot in that aspect. Our team building improved because the defenders progressed. Midfielders’ abilities... Before, we weren’t specific enough in execution. Sometimes, João Mário would change sides, Palhinha would push forward, but there wasn’t the positional sense like with Uermande. We’ve paid more attention to details. We had many principles in defense, but we also started giving guidelines for offense. We started offering more suggestions. More attacking midfielders can now play like No. 10... Forwards have been more committed to dropping deep for the ball, and wingers provide depth. This has been changing, and it’s been helpful. Whether on the outside or inside, the four players have been working better. And the secret to all this is: that gentleman (referring to Viana) is there, and he found the best players. Everything I’ve done, you can see. The secret is in the level of players, training time, and stability... In short, that’s it."