A video footage of incoming Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, involved in an awkward interaction with English reporter Gary Cotterill recently went viral
The 39-year-old was just recently announced as the replacement for the outgoing Erik ten Hag, last week.
Sky Sports reporter Gary Cotterill asks Ruben Amorim to answer in English, video goes viral
Amorim will take charge of the Red Devils only after finishing the season with his current club, Sporting CP. However, before beginning his stint, he has already had an awkward interaction with English media during a pre-match press conference.
Amorim encounters awkward interaction with English reporter Gary Cotterill
The awkward exchange took place during a pre-match press conference for the upcoming Champions League clash with Manchester City. During Monday’s press conference, Sky Sports reporter Gary Cotterill got an opportunity to speak with Amorim. However, the conversation got awkward when Cotterill tried to get the coach to answer in English. He did so despite initial information that Amorim wasn’t going to answer in English.
This is exactly why people around the world don’t like the English..
Gary Cotterill sounds so arrogant demanding Ruben Amorim speaks English like this.. pic.twitter.com/CZDIjSAE6p
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) November 4, 2024
The reporter shared how fans missed hearing Amorim speak in English and requested the 39-year-old to answer at least one question in English for Manchester United supporters. In response, Amorim and a member of his PR team clarified that he would only respond to questions in Portuguese.
Cotterill then shifted the question asking Amorim if he was aware that a victory against Pep Guardiola’s side would instantly make him a hero at his new club. However, he asked the Portuguese manager to respond again in English. Amorim unsurprisingly declined, and this led to an awkward exchange. Cotterill insisted that he just wanted a 10-second response in English, but Amorim remained steadfast. Earlier in the press conference, the Portuguese coach referenced Sir Alex Ferguson. He remarked that if Sporting managed to beat City, he would have expectations at Old Trafford, and could be seen as a reincarnation of Ferguson himself.
Similar past incidents
Notably, this is not the first time that Cotterill has been involved in such an exchange. Back when Erik ten Hag was set to take charge of United, he refused to speak to the reporter after attending a game at Selhurst Park despite his insistence. Fans have also come out in support of Amorim on social media praising his composed reaction and criticizing Gary Coterill.