New Delhi: Hugo Viana is described in Portugal as operating “in the shadows,” a man who is keen to carry out his responsibilities out of the public eye. He will be especially thrilled that his good friend Rúben Amorim will take the headlines when Viana’s present and prospective employers clash in the Champions League on Tuesday night. By helping to turn his first club, Sporting, into a force again, he has established himself as one of Europe’s top young sporting directors during the last six years.
When Viana joined Belenenses with just six months of experience, Sporting had not won the league title in sixteen seasons. Sporting has defeated Porto and Benfica twice to win the championship under Viana’s leadership; his first victory came during his third season with the team. Although he cannot take full credit for the turnaround, the former Newcastle player made the choice to hire his old teammate Amorim, spending €10 million on a head coach who had begun the season leading Braga B in the third division.
What happens next?
Hugo Viana: Who is Man City’s new director of football? 👀 pic.twitter.com/wroy1gNgto
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 5, 2024
Due to their achievements, the two will soon be competing in Manchester; Amorim will be tasked with trying to turn around the United ship after years of drifting, while Viana will be tasked with keeping the City train going. One of the main reasons the two guys have developed their reputations is their ability to work together. It will be interesting to see if they can adapt to two very different cultures and continue to advance, and it might even put their relationship to the test.
Viana’s old teammate Hélder Barbosa adds, “I think one of the best things that Viana did was to bring the people that he trusts like Amorim.” He also suggested that they are closer than ever since he is a young coach and people start talking a lot about how much money they spent. However, everyone now agrees that he wasn’t a cheap coach and that he is likely the best coach in Portugal right now.
But friendships haven’t been the foundation of Viana’s profession. He isn’t afraid to take chances and be brutal. In his early days at Sporting, he fired managers frequently in an attempt to discover the ideal formula, and he left Belenenses following a falling out with the president.
City conducted a thorough investigation to find a replacement for Txiki Begiristain, who was leaving. There was no way the club would accept a second-best candidate. Another strong contender for the role of director of football was Quique Cárcel, but he was left in his current role at Girona, one of the four clubs owned by the City Football Group.
Reliving the old memories
🚨🎥 – Ruben Amorim on Hugo Viana joining Man City:
“I chose United.
“Manchester United is MY CLUB, Manchester City is his club. It’s going to be fun, and I hope to help United improve.”
“I chose my path, and my path is Manchester United.” ❤️ pic.twitter.com/8ncpOUKKX2
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) November 4, 2024
Barbosa stated he never thought Viana would play football after retiring because they never discussed the players or scouting in the car. Barbosa commuted to Braga to practice with Viana. Since Viana had previously owned numerous enterprises, they frequently discussed business in addition to football in general. “He gave me a lot of advice before on how to spend my money, how to think about the things, because this guy thinks in front of everyone.”
In addition to academy products, Benfica and Porto were frequently able to find talent, particularly in South America, and bring in reasonably priced players with potential who needed to be developed. Viana was aware that he would need to increase Sporting’s scouting network in order to put them on par with their fiercest opponents.
Sporting’s four summer acquisitions from Denmark, Belgium, Mexico, and Poland helped them take the lead in the league with ten straight victories. He has a solid rapport with agent Jorge Mendes and is seen as easy to work with, honest in his market judgments, and a clear communicator.
Barbosa praises Viana
Current Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim and sporting director Hugo Viana both played for Braga.
They are soon about to start their new careers at Manchester United and Manchester City! 🔥
📸 Reuters & Getty Images#pl #mufc #mcfc #ucl #football #footballnews pic.twitter.com/VXJ0vGbdLx
— Football9 (@Football9live_) November 5, 2024
Barbosa said that since Viana was a player, he understood how to communicate with players and their perspectives. Having someone who has played previously and is aware of your needs is beneficial for all players. Alongside Viana, Barbosa earned his only Portugal cap. He also said, “He is one step ahead of everyone.” He was an excellent colleague, and as a director, he still gives wise counsel. Viana has assisted in providing Sporting with a talent pipeline from Coventry to Toluca in order to offset the sale of players who have outgrown Portuguese football. Under Viana’s supervision, Manuel Ugarte, Pedro Porro, and João Palhinha have came and gone. None of them were inexpensive, but they were all seen as assets with the potential to grow at Sporting and then be sold to guarantee the club’s success.
Barbosa says, “He’s a very quiet guy, but I never saw Viana being very nervous about things.” “He can talk calmly even when he’s nervous.” Finding and supporting the appropriate head coach is crucial because, no matter how talented the players are, getting them to perform is not assured. Sporting has returned to prominence thanks in part to Viana’s relationship with Amorim. Despite having relatively low resources, Amorim is considered the most effective coach in Europe.
Viana, a man so far out of the spotlight that it is hard to shine much on him, is shrouded in a cloak. Despite having a very strong circle of trust, he will have to adjust to a new environment where his closest comrade is expected to turn against him.
