Jurgen Klopp is leaving Liverpool. Xabi Alonso is not leaving Bayer Leverkusen.
The Anfield management needs to be worried as Spaniard Alonso made his intentions clear by deciding to stay in Germany instead of choosing to take Klopp's job. As things stand, certain Ruben Amorim is the contender who is said to have benefitted the most from Alonso's decision to stay at Bayer Arena. The 39-year-old former Portugal international is likely to get an offer from Liverpool if nothing dramatic happens in the days to come.
Who is Ruben Amorim? What makes the comparatively inexperienced Portuguese a top contender to land the high-profile job of Liverpool manager? If you are among the lot who wonders so, here are five things to know about Amorim.
- Ruben Amorim is currently in charge of Liga Portugal side Sporting CP. He was roped in as the manager of the Lisbon-based side on March 4 2020. At the time of the hiring, Amorim had only the experience of slightly over two months in charge of a top-flight club. Sporting reportedly paid €10 million for his services, the third-highest transfer fee for a manager in history!
- His limited top-tier experience ahead of the Sporting assignment was with Braga. After being signed to manage the reserve team in 2019 September, he was asked to take over the senior team for the remainder of the season starting in December. With Amorim in charge, Braga won the Taca da Liga -- the domestic league cup -- and registered its first away win against Benfica in 65 years. His tenure with the 'Os Arcebispos' lasted 72 days before making a switch to Lisbon.
- After finishing fourth in the debut season, Ruben Amorim managed to bring the league trophy home -- Sporting CP's first Liga title in 19 years. The team tasted defeat just once throughout the campaign and six of its stars made it to the Primeira Liga Team of the Year. Nuno Santos, Pedro Porro, Joao Mario and Joao Palhinha, Matheus Nunes and Nuno Mendes were among the stars that Sporting CP either bought or promoted from the academy during his tenure
- The highlight of his second season was Sporting making it to the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen for the first time since the 2008–09 season and winning a third consecutive league cup final (the first one was with Braga). He is the fastest manager to win 50 games in the Primeira Liga.
- During his playing days, Ruben Amorim was predominantly a midfielder who could also take up responsibilities on the wings or down the right. The Belenenses and Benfica player represented Portugal in the 2010 and 2014 editions of the FIFA World Cup and received time on the field during either edition. In August 2015, Benfica sent Amorim on a season-long loan to Al-Wakrah in Qatar. In April 2017, he terminated his contract with Benfica and announced retirement at the age of 32.
