by Ruben Amorim insists there is nothing to read into Sporting Lisbon’s stunning defeat by Manchester City as he prepares for a ‘different world’ at Manchester United.
Amorim enjoyed a perfect start from the Jose Alvalade Stadium on Tuesday as his Sporting side came from behind to beat City 4-1 in their final home game before taking charge at Old Trafford next week.
The 39-year-old faces City again in a Manchester derby in just over a month’s time, but he does not believe Sporting’s remarkable Champions League triumph will have any impact.
“It doesn’t mean anything in particular,” said the Portuguese, who will officially leave Sporting and travel to Manchester after their match at Braga on Sunday.
“It’s misleading. We cannot transport a reality to another context. Man Utd can’t play the same way we do. We will have to adapt.
“When I arrive in Manchester, I will live in a different world with a different starting point.
“It was unique and we had luck on our side. I will bring that to the Premier League, but it will be different in Manchester. It will be fun and I am up for the challenge.
Sporting looked like they could have a long night as Phil Foden opened the scoring inside four minutes and City created numerous more chances in the first half.
The match turned after former Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres – linked with a move to Amorim’s United – escaped to equalize just before the break.
Maximiliano Araujo put Sporting ahead early in the second half and Gyokeres then sunk the visitors by completing a hat-trick with two penalties, although City’s Erling Haaland missed a potentially crucial spot-kick.
Amorim had joked before the match that he would become the “new Sir Alex Ferguson” if they beat City, but was quick to downplay this and insist he would not read any media reports .
He said: “I was playing with words when I said that, it was a joke.
“I’m not going to read anything for six months. I did it when I arrived at Sporting and I will do it again.
“The only way for me to do my job is to work and focus on the team.
“City having missed their penalty, everything went very well for Sporting.”
