Portuguese Football in English
Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United
Rúben Amorim gave an intriguing interview after his Manchester United side defied expectations by earning a well-deserved draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield.
Many had anticipated 14th-place United would struggle away against their in-form rivals on Sunday afternoon, but United produced arguably their best all-round performance under Amorim, who refused to offer up much praise to his inconsistent side after the match.
Former Braga manager Artur Jorge signed a contract with Qatari side Al Rayyan yesterday, bringing an end to a brief but monumental spell in Brazil with Botafogo.
Jorge leaves Rio de Janeiro having conquered South America during his 9-month stay. Under his guidance, Botafogo ended a 29-year wait for the Brazilian title, while also winning the Copa Libertadores to become South American champions for the first time in their history.
Juventus 1-2 AC Milan
Sérgio Conceição got off to the perfect start as manager of AC Milan, as his side came from behind to beat Juventus and qualify for the Italian Supercup final against city rivals Inter.
Milan trailed to Kenan Yıldız’s strike after 20 minutes, but hit back with two goals in the space of four minutes in the last quarter of the match, which was held in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh. The final will take place on Monday evening at the same venue.
Paulo Fonseca’s adventure with AC Milan lasted just half a season. A mere 24 matches were enough for the Rossoneri board to decide they had invested in the wrong man when snaring the Portuguese from Lille last summer.
During his brief tenure, Fonseca enjoyed an impressive victory over champions and city rivals Inter in the Milan derby, as well as a stunning 3-1 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Yet there was always a sense the former Porto boss did not quite fit at San Siro, with Italian media now sifting through the wreckage.
Sérgio Conceição says he will not look for excuses as he prepares for a busy start to life with AC Milan, having replaced Paulo Fonseca in the San Siro dugout. Club spokesman Zlatan Ibrahimovic has also been speaking about the change, taking the chance to apologise to Fonseca over the handling of his departure.
Conceição was unveiled on Tuesday having signed an 18-month contract with the Italian giants. The deal vindicated the former Portugal international in resisting multiple offers since leaving Porto, including approaches from South America, France, Croatia and the Middle East, which were all spurned as Conceição felt a more suitable job would arrive.
