Rúben Amorim

Rúben Filipe Marques Amorim (born 27 January 1985) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a midfielder, and the current manager of Sporting CP.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Marques and the second or paternal family name is Amorim.

Rúben Amorim

Amorim playing for Portugal in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Rúben Filipe Marques Amorim
Date of birth	(1985-01-27) 27 January 1985
Place of birth	Lisbon, Portugal
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position(s)	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Sporting CP (manager)
Youth career
1998–2000	CAC Pontinha
2000–2002	Benfica
2002–2003	Belenenses
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2008	Belenenses	96	(4)
2008–2017	Benfica	95	(5)
2012–2013	→ Braga (loan)	30	(4)
2015	Benfica B	2	(0)
2015–2016	→ Al-Wakrah (loan)	14	(2)
Total		237	(15)
National team
2003	Portugal U18	3	(0)
2003–2004	Portugal U19	13	(0)
2004–2005	Portugal U20	13	(0)
2005–2008	Portugal U21	10	(0)
2010	Portugal B	1	(0)
2010–2014	Portugal	14	(0)
Teams managed
2018–2019	Casa Pia
2019	Braga B
2019–2020	Braga
2020–	Sporting CP
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent most of his professional career with Belenenses and Benfica, signing with the latter in 2008 and going on to win ten major titles, including three Primeira Liga championships. Over 12 seasons, he amassed totals in the competition of 221 matches and 13 goals.

Amorim represented Portugal in two FIFA World Cups, earning a total of 14 caps. After retiring, he worked as a manager.

Playing career

Club

Belenenses

Born in Lisbon, Amorim made his debut in the Primeira Liga on 14 December 2003, playing one minute for hometown club C.F. Os Belenenses in a 2–0 home win against F.C. Alverca.[2] From 2005–06 onwards, he became a regular.

In the 2007–08 campaign, Amorim started in 28 of his 29 league appearances (2,491 minutes of action) and helped his team finish in eighth position.

Benfica

In late April 2008, Amorim signed a four-year deal with Benfica after his Belenenses contract expired.[3] During his first season he was a regular starter, scoring his first goal with Benfica on 23 November in a 2–0 away victory over Académica de Coimbra.[4]

Competing with new signings Javi García and Ramires, Amorim appeared less in 2009–10, but still featured prominently (24 matches with ten starts) as Benfica won the league – and the League Cup – after a five-year drought. When healthy, he was again regularly used by manager Jorge Jesus in the 2010–11 season. On 19 January 2011, however, after undergoing surgery on both knees, he was sidelined for several months.[5]

In early October 2011, whilst on duty with the national team, Amorim criticised Jesus' preferences – Benfica played most of their games without a single Portuguese player.[6] Increasingly disgusted with his plight, in December, he refused to train with the bench players – after warming up for several minutes only to not be used – following a game against Rio Ave FC, being subjected to the club's disciplinary proceedings;[7][8] on 30 January 2012 a loan was arranged with Braga, until June of the following year.[9]

In 2013–14, Amorim returned to Benfica and played 37 matches across all competitions, helping the club to win an unprecedent treble of league, Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga.[10] At the beginning of the following campaign, he featured the full 120 minutes to help his team defeat Rio Ave in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, thus winning four titles in 2014.[11] On 24 August, however, he got severely injured while playing on an artificial turf at Boavista FC,[12] with news the next day reporting an anterior cruciate ligament injury;[13] he was sidelined until 11 February 2015, when he featured as a substitute in a 3–0 home defeat of Vitória de Setúbal in the semi-finals of the domestic league cup.[14][15]

On 14 August 2015, Amorim joined Al-Wakrah Sport Club in Qatar on a season-long deal.[16] On 4 April 2017, after more than a year of inactivity, the 32-year-old terminated his contract with Benfica and retired.[17]

International

Amorim appeared for Portugal at the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in the Netherlands, as the national side eventually lost to Italy for the final berth for the following year's Summer Olympic Games. On 10 May 2010, although not part of the senior squad's list of 23 for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,[18][19] he was named in a backup list of six players.[20] On 8 June, he replaced Nani after the Manchester United player sustained a clavicle injury which ruled him out of the finals in South Africa;[21] his senior debut came on the 15th, as he played the last five minutes of the group stage opener against Ivory Coast (0–0) in the place of Raul Meireles.[22]

Amorim was also selected by new manager Paulo Bento for the 2014 World Cup.[23] He made his debut in the tournament on 26 June in the last group phase match against Ghana, featuring the full 90 minutes in the 2–1 win but seeing his team eliminated on goal difference.[24]

Coaching career

Shortly after retiring, Amorim joined the Lisbon Football Association in order to earn a coaching licence. Additionally, he attended a postgraduation course in psychomotor education.[25]

Amorim started working as a manager in 2018–19, with third division team Casa Pia AC.[26][27] In January 2019, the team were deducted six points and he was suspended from all activity for one year after giving instructions during a match without having the required coaching level to do so;[28] even though the bans were suspended shortly after,[29] he presented his resignation in the aftermath.[30]

On 20 May 2019, Amorim initially agreed to return to the Estádio da Luz as Benfica's under-23 team's coach.[31] The following month, however, after a meeting at the club, he rejected that possibility.[32]

In mid-September 2019, Amorim was appointed at Braga's reserves in the third level.[33] Three months later, he replaced the dismissed Ricardo Sá Pinto at the helm of the first team on a two-and-a-half-year contract.[34] In his first game in charge on 4 January, he led them to a 7–1 away demolition of Belenenses SAD,[35] and three weeks later won the domestic League Cup final against FC Porto with a last-minute goal from Ricardo Horta.[36]

Amorim became Sporting CP's manager on 4 March 2020 after the sacking of Silas, signing a deal until 30 June 2023 with a €20 million buyout clause.[37]

Style of play

Amorim's style was similar to countryman Tiago, with both playing the same position, operating in central midfield, both defensive and offensive (Amorim, however, was also able to play as a right back).[38]

Personal life

Amorim's cousins, David Simão and Bruno Simão, were also professional footbalers.[39]

Career statistics

Club

[40]

Club	Season	League		Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Belenenses	2003–04	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	2004–05	17	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	0
	2005–06	25	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	26	3
	2006–07	23	1	6	1	0	0	0	0	29	2
	2007–08	29	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	32	0
	Total	96	4	8	1	0	0	2	0	106	5
Benfica	2008–09	26	2	2	0	5	0	2	0	35	2
	2009–10	24	3	2	0	2	1	10	0	38	4
	2010–11	12	0	3*	0	1	0	2	0	18*	0
	2011–12	6	0	2	0	0	0	6	0	14	0
	Total	68	5	9	0	8	1	20	0	105	6
Braga	2011–12	8	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	10	0
	2012–13	22	4	3	0	4	1	7	0	36	5
	Total	30	4	3	0	4	1	9	0	46	5
Benfica	2013–14	17	0	6	0	5	0	9	0	37	0
	2014–15	10	0	1*	0	1	0	0	0	12*	0
	Total	27	0	7	0	6	0	9	0	49	0
Benfica B	2014–15	2	0	—		—		—		2	0
Career Total		223	13	27	1	18	2	38	0	307	16

*Includes the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

International

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Portugal[41]	2010	1	0
	2012	3	0
	2013	6	0
	2014	4	0
Total		14	0

Managerial statistics

As of match played 25 July 2020

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	Nat	From	To	Record								Ref
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Braga B		16 September 2019	23 December 2019	11	8	2	1	27	7	+20	072.73	[42]
Braga		23 December 2019	4 March 2020	13	10	1	2	27	13	+14	076.92	[43]
Sporting CP		4 March 2020	Present	11	6	3	2	14	8	+6	054.55	[44]
Total				35	24	6	5	68	28	+40	068.57	—

Honours

Player

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15[45]
• Taça de Portugal: 2013–14
• Taça da Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2014
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2013–14[46]

Braga

• Taça da Liga: 2012–13

Manager

Braga

• Taça da Liga: 2019–20[36]

References

1. "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of players" (PDF). FIFA. 11 June 2014. p. 27. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
2. "Belenenses frente ao Alverca" [Belenenses against Alverca]. Record (in Portuguese). 15 December 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
3. "Ruben Amorim. Ai Jesus que lá vou eu" [Ruben Amorim. Oh Jesus here I go]. i (in Portuguese). 29 December 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
4. "Benfica vence (0–2) a Académica" [Benfica beat (0–2) Académica]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 23 November 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
5. "Knee surgery robs Benfica of Rúben Amorim". UEFA. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
6. "Ruben Amorim: "Fico feliz por Paulo Bento não pensar como Jesus"" [Ruben Amorim: "I'm happy Paulo Bento does not think as Jesus"]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 October 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
7. "Benfica: Ruben Amorim é caso disciplinar" [Benfica: Ruben Amorim a disciplinary case] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. 28 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
8. "Benfica. Rúben Amorim de novo ausente do treino depois de incidente disciplinar" [Benfica. Rúben Amorim again absent from training following disciplinary incident]. i (in Portuguese). 28 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
9. "Yannick Djalo signs for Benfica". PortuGOAL. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
10. "Benfica lift cup to seal historic treble". UEFA. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
11. "Benfica vence SuperTaça nos penalties" [Benfica win SuperCup on penalties] (in Portuguese). UEFA. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
12. Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo; Cunha, Pedro Jorge (24 August 2014). "Benfica: Ruben Amorim com entorse no joelho direito" [Benfica: Ruben Amorim with right knee sprain] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
13. "Ruben Amorim com rotura total do ligamento cruzado" [Ruben Amorim with total rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament]. Observador (in Portuguese). 25 August 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
14. "Benfica e V. Setúbal pensam na final da Taça da Liga" [Benfica and V. Setúbal thinking of League Cup final] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
15. "Benfica vence Vitória de Setúbal e garante final da Taça da Liga" [Benfica defeat Vitória de Setúbal and confirm League Cup final] (in Portuguese). TSF. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
16. "Ruben Amorim emprestado ao Al-Wakrah" [Rúben Amorim on loan to Al-Wakrah] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
17. Sanches, João (4 April 2017). "Rúben Amorim rescinde com o Benfica e coloca ponto final na carreira" [Rúben Amorim rescinds with Benfica and ends career]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 April 2017.
18. "Convocados revelados" [Squad revealed] (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. 10 May 2010. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
19. "Pepe in Portugal squad". FIFA. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
20. "Release list of up to 30 players" (PDF). FIFA. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
21. "World Cup 2010: Portugal's Nani out of World Cup". BBC Sport. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
22. "Ivory Coast outplays Portugal, but earns scoreless draw in opener". ESPN Soccernet. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
23. "Portugal World Cup 2014 squad". The Daily Telegraph. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
24. "Ronaldo downs Ghana but Portugal crash out". FIFA. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
25. Cabral, Mariana (18 November 2017). "Ruben Amorim: "Assinei pelo Benfica com o coração. Naquela altura, ia ganhar mais num clube alemão do que alguma vez ganhei no Benfica"" [Ruben Amorim: “I signed for Benfica with my heart. At that time, I was going to earn more at a German club than more I ever did at Benfica”]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 29 January 2018.
26. "Campeonato de Portugal: um mercado cheio de novidades" [Portuguese Championship: a market full of novelties]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
27. "Rúben Dias foi ver o irmão jogar sob as ordens do ex-benfiquista Ruben Amorim" [Rúben Dias went to see his brother play under former Benfica man Ruben Amorim]. Record (in Portuguese). 21 October 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
28. Ferreira, Luís Pedro (13 January 2019). "Casa Pia perde seis pontos por Rúben Amorim dar indicações" [Casa Pia lose six pontos after Rúben Amorim gave instructions] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
29. "TAD decreta suspensão dos castigos a Casa Pia e Rúben Amorim" [CAS decrees suspensions of bans on Casa Pia and Rúben Amorim] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
30. "Rúben Amorim demite-se de treinador do Casa Pia na sequência de castigos da FPF" [Rúben Amorim resigns as manager of Casa Pia in the aftermath of PFF bans] (in Portuguese). Sábado. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
31. "Rúben Amorim de regresso ao Benfica para treinar os sub-23" [Rúben Amorim returns to Benfica to coach the under-23s]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 20 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
32. "Reunião com Rúben Amorim teve desfecho inesperado" [Meeting with Rúben Amorim had unexpected outcome]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 19 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
33. "OFICIAL: Rúben Amorim é o treinador do Sp. Braga B" [OFFICIAL: Rúben Amorim is the manager of Sp. Braga B] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
34. "Rúben Amorim substitui Sá Pinto como treinador do Sporting de Braga" [Rúben Amorim replaces Sá Pinto as manager of Sporting de Braga]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
35. "Sporting de Braga esmaga Belenenses SAD em estreia de sonho para Rúben Amorim" [Sporting de Braga crush Belenenses SAD in dream debut for Rúben Amorim] (in Portuguese). TSF. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
36. Cole, Richard (25 January 2020). "Late Ricardo Horta strike wins the Taça da Liga for Braga". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
37. Krithinas, Sérgio; Almeida Gonçalves, Vítor; Pinto, Vítor (4 March 2020). "Rúben Amorim no Sporting até 2023" [Rúben Amorim in Sporting until 2023]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 March 2020.
38. ""Rúben Amorim não é o substituto ideal de Matic"" ["Rúben Amorim is not Matic's ideal replacement"] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
39. Almeida, Isaura (26 January 2018). "Bruno Simão saiu do coma e já respira sozinho" [Bruno Simão emerges from coma and now breathes by self]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 July 2020.
40. Rúben Amorim at Soccerway
41. "Ruben Amorim". European Football. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
42. "SC Braga B: Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
43. "SC Braga: Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
44. "Sporting CP: Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
45. Cunha, Pedro Jorge (17 May 2015). "Benfica bicampeão: 28 com as faixas e dois à espera" [Benfica back-to-back champions: 28 with the sashes and two await] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
46. "Spot-on Sevilla leave Benfica dreams in tatters". UEFA. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.

External links

• Rúben Amorim at ForaDeJogo
• Rúben Amorim manager stats at ForaDeJogo
• National team data (in Portuguese)
• Rúben Amorim at National-Football-Teams.com
• Rúben Amorim – FIFA competition record
• Rúben Amorim – UEFA competition record