Ruben Amorim's one-word moniker from Cristiano Ronaldo and what the Manchester United manager thinks of it - 2025

Share this recipe?

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sticky relationship with his former club Manchester United hasn’t stopped him from sharing his true thoughts on head coach Ruben Amorim

Cristiano Ronaldo once revealed what he makes of Ruben Amorim giving him the nickname “the poet”. The Portuguese manager has now been in charge of Manchester United for exactly a year, having left Sporting CP midway through last season to succeed Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

The past 12 months have been more gruelling than Amorim could have ever imagined, having failed to mount any consistent form and constantly fielded questions over the effectiveness of his tactics, as well as facing endless rumours surrounding his potential sacking.

But one person who has quietly had his corner in that time is none other than Portuguese and United football legend Ronaldo. In another bombshell interview with Piers Morgan recently, the 40-year-old Al-Nassr star said he felt his compatriot was doing a good job and could not work “miracles”.

Advertisements

In an interview with United, the charming Amorim himself previously addressed the moniker. When asked about it, he said with a smile: “Yeah. But it’s like a funny thing because I like to speak – not too much – but when I speak, I think I speak from the heart. I think people feel that. It was something just to have fun.”

Despite all the doom and gloom, we have certainly observed that quality in his press conferences and post-match interviews. Amorim’s comments are often brutally honest, even to his detriment at times, while still showing plenty of charisma – something which may have earned him more time when results were not going his way.

His achievements across a four-year stint with Sporting, where he claimed two Primeira Liga titles and two Taca da Ligas, made an impression across Europe as clubs raced for his signature. United, desperate to bring in the promising tactician, paid extra to activate his release clause last season.

But English football proved far more difficult than he had imagined. In his first season, Amorim guided United to their worst-ever finish in the Premier League, down in 15th place. He reached the Europa League final last term, where his side failed to qualify for the Champions League after suffering defeat to an equally dismal Tottenham.