Unemployed coach Ruben Amorim was spotted playing padel with Manchester City director Hugo Viana after parting ways with Manchester United.
On 29 March 2026, Ruben Amorim, former Manchester United coach who separated from the club earlier this year, appeared relaxed at the Padel Expo in Lisbon, joining a padel match alongside Hugo Viana, football director of Manchester City.
The two previously shared success at Sporting Lisbon. Behind Sporting Lisbon’s golden era, Viana boldly invested 10 million euros to bring Amorim in as coach in 2020. Together, they led the team to two Portuguese league titles before their football paths took them to opposite sides of Manchester.
Viana crossed over to handle management for the "Sky Blues," while Amorim took charge of the "Red Devils." Although Amorim is now unemployed, their recent padel match clearly shows that their off-field friendship remains strong and unchanged.
The Padel Expo club in Lisbon humorously posted that “we tried to recruit both to join our technical staff, but it seems this time is not the right one!” They also thanked the pair for visiting the venue.
This event sparked fans’ playful speculation: could this padel court in Lisbon be the setting for some secret deal negotiations?