Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has sent Sir Jim Ratcliffe a strong message about Rúben Amorim’s future at the club.
Manchester United turn their focus back to Europa League action this Thursday evening, traveling across the English Channel to face Olympique Lyonnais in the quarter-finals.
Rúben Amorim’s side last impressed in Europe with a convincing 5-2 aggregate win over Spanish outfit Real Sociedad, booking their spot in the last eight with ease.
Lyon, on the other hand, breezed through the Round of 16, crushing Romanian side FCSB 7-1 over two legs, setting up a high-profile clash with United. Amorim’s men remain the only unbeaten team left in this season’s competition.
However, after two goalless draws in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, Amorim will be keen for his team to find their scoring touch once again in Lyon this week.
Matic addresses Amorim’s rise as a coach
When United face Lyon, they will come up against former midfielder Nemanja Matic, who played at Old Trafford for five seasons before departing in 2022. However, a lesser known fact is that Matic played alongside Amorim for two seasons between 2012 and 2014 while at Benfica, before the former moved to Chelsea.
Matic spoke with the press ahead of the Europa League clash and was asked about his time with Amorim and if he knew the player would become a manager once he retired.
“When we played together, I didn’t know he would become a coach,” Matic admitted on Wednesday afternoon. “He was very talented and intelligent on the pitch.
“He was always the most optimistic player in the locker room. When he started coaching at Braga, I watched a few of his team’s games. We all saw that he had potential, that he had everything it took to become a good coach.
“He’s made great progress in a short time. I’m very happy for him. When I arrived at Benfica, he helped me a lot. It’s always great to see a former teammate succeed in that role.”
Matic’s strong message to Ratclife about Amorim
Further, Matic went on to address Amorim’s future as a Premier League manager, with the 40-year-old under fire after a series of poor results across the competition since he joined Old Trafford in November.
In a strong message to United’s upper management, such as co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Matic declared that Amorim needs time to succeed at the club and that those in charge must support the Portuguese boss.
“It’s hard to say what will happen for him,” he continued. “He has the right profile: a young coach with a lot of energy. He needs support. In the Premier League, if you’re not at 100%, other teams punish you. It’s a very demanding league. But step by step, he can do great things.”
United will be aiming to win the European competition this summer primerlasy so that they can enter the Champions League next season, which has two major beneficial factors for United.
Firstly, the club will receive around £80 million should they qualify for the competition, while it also provides United with the ground to offer Champions League football to prospective signings in the coming summer window.
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