CHICAGO — Ruben Amorim has said he would like to stay at Manchester United for “20 years” and insists he has “no doubts” that the club will become champions of England and Europe again in the future.
Amorim is preparing for his first full season in charge after a tough start to his tenure following his appointment at Old Trafford in November.
No United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson has lasted more than three years, but the Portuguese coach, who has a contract until 2027 with the option of another year, says he’s targeting a longer stay.
“I want to stay, I want to stay 20 [years],” he said. “That is my goal and I truly believe in that. Something will happen. It always does. In some moments I will be lucky. I had a lot of luck during my career as a manager and my idea is to stay for many years. But again we know that the results will dictate that. I know that last season I used all the credits but I’m ready to start fresh.”
Amorim is attempting to battle back from a 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season — United’s worst campaign since relegation to the second division more than 50 years ago.
The club won their last Premier League title in 2013 under Ferguson. It has been even longer since United last won the Champions League, beating Chelsea in the final in 2008. But despite the long wait for the biggest titles in England and Europe, Amorim is convinced that success is coming back to Old Trafford.
“I have no doubts,” Amorim said. “Because there are some things that you cannot buy and this club has. The pedigree, the history, the fans. We have that. I think that is clear. Then the money. We have money. We have money without the Champions League. So we can, we’ll have money and more money in the future. And we are doing everything.
“You talk with [CEO] Omar [Berrada] and all these guys, they are making all the strategy to have more money in the future. So that will not be a problem. And then I think it’s clearly the culture. If we have a different culture, with all that, with all the pedigree, the money, all these things, we can return to our place. And that is clear.”
Meanwhile, Amorim has created a new leadership group at Manchester United to help deal with issues in the dressing room.
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The Portuguese coach has made it his mission to change the culture at Old Trafford and has made big decisions including dispensing of Marcus Rashford and axing Alejandro Garnacho from the squad for the preseason tour of the U.S.
The 40-year-old has also enlisted help from six players to manage the dressing room. Captain Bruno Fernandes is at the centre of the new leadership group, which also includes Lisandro MartÃnez, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and Tom Heaton.
“I think the change of culture is more a club thing than a manager thing,” Amorim said. “I cannot do everything by myself. What I feel this year is that I have more people to do that.
“And we have a leadership group now. It’s not just Bruno. It’s not just Harry. It’s six guys now. They are responsible for the group. There are some things that in the last year I had to deal with it. I said to them this year, you deal with that. Small issues are with you guys. You are responsible. All these small changes, I think it’s helping the group.
“We have Bruno, we have Licha [Martinez], we have Harry, we have Diogo, we have Tom and we have Nous [Mazraoui]. So it’s not just the oldest one. “Nous is in the group because he’s a character that I like. And I try to understand the dynamic of the group. Try to reach every space. They are the guys that are responsible to keep everyone in line.”
Amorim has also introduced a series of news rules — everything from timekeeping to the intensity of training sessions — to help improve the environment at the club. He insists he’s not trying to treat players “like babies” but says individuals will be called out in front of the rest of the squad if his demands are not met.
“We have new rules,” he said. “We have rules, and the rules are not to treat the players as babies. They have sons. I treat them as a man, but they have rules now. And that can change the way you train. If you don’t train in the right way, I have footage to show you.
“And I show you in front of everybody. If you train one time bad, I will show you the image. I will not speak with you, not just speak. I will show everything.”
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