The manager ‘100% interested’ in Man City role if Pep Guardiola leaves
Hugo Viana is set to start his handover period with Manchester City in February – balancing preparation for his new role with a high-pressure job at Sporting that he won’t officially vacate until the end of the season.
The timing of Viana’s transition is intriguing. By then Pep Guardiola will almost certainly have made a decision on his future.
And if Guardiola has declined City’s open-ended contract offer it will leave the path open for the Premier League champions to appoint Sporting boss Ruben Amorim, considered one of the most promising coaches in Europe and a manager with the charisma and acumen to build on the Catalan’s incredible legacy.
i understands that Amorim, 39, would be “100 per cent interested” in the role and while City do a good job of keeping their intentions “in-house” it’s highly likely he would be the frontrunner for the role if Guardiola opts to leave the Etihad.
City, understandably, are doing their best to keep Guardiola, arguably one of the finest coaches in the history of the game, at the club but news of Txiki Begiristain’s departure and England’s interest in their manager has focused minds on at the Etihad.
No-one, least of all Guardiola, will want it to become an all-encompassing distraction for the players at a time when off-the-field matters are already threatening to overshadow their attempt to win an unprecedented fifth straight title.
Amorim has now moved to the top of the list of possible successors. While he declined to leave the Portuguese champions in the summer – despite interest from Liverpool and West Ham – sources say there is increasingly an “end of the cycle” feel at the Jose Alvalade Stadium with Viana set to depart. Close allies have counselled Amorim that now may be the time to listen to Premier League offers.
No doubt the thought of reuniting with Viana in England would hold real appeal. Amorim and the soon-to-be City director football have dovetailed perfectly to bring success to Sporting and are just as close off-the-field, with their families spending time together away from the sport.
“Viana has proved several times that he can make magic happen,” Amorim said last summer before likening him to a family member.
“We fight with clubs that are stronger than us financially so we have to put in much more effort and showcase our project.”
Viana was officially announced as the successor to Begiristain on Saturday but the move had been in the offing for “months” before. i understands that, having kept the news and talks with City under wraps, Viana was somewhat surprised at the leaks at the end of last week.
He is excited at the prospect of joining City but all parties are understandably sensitive to accusations that his focus in Lisbon will be affected. By only starting to pick up duties at City in February he will dodge any accusations of conflicts of interest in the winter transfer window.
But if a vacancy at City does open up, it’s difficult to see past Amorim joining him in Manchester with the club trying to replicate the seamless and highly successful partnership between Begiristain and Guardiola.