There have been bizarre scenes in Rúben Amorim's press conference after the incoming Manchester United manager was badgered about speaking his native Portuguese in a press conference.
Amorim has been appointed the Red Devils boss, taking over from interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy after Erik ten Hag was sacked, but the 39-year-old does not officially take over until next week.
In the meantime, he fronted the media before his current club, Sporting CP, beat Manchester City 4-1 in the league phase of the Champions League at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon.
The Portuguese manager of the Portuguese club was speaking Portuguese at their home ground in the capital of Portugal, but one British reporter took issue with this.
Twenty minutes into the press conference, Sky Sports' Gary Cotterill started a question with: "Rúben, hello. You know what we miss?"
"What?" Amorim replied.
"Your wonderful English," Cotterill said.
Amorim apologised, before Cotterill asked for "one answer in English for all the people who are going to be watching this game interested in Manchester City in Sporting and in Manchester United".
The English-Portuguese translator sitting next to Amorim said the press conference would continue in Portguese, after which Cotterill queried if United had asked him not to speak in English, which he denied.
Cotterill continued, asking Amorim about the prospect of beating United's cross-town rivals and being beloved by his new team's fans before even officially taking on the job.
But the journalist requested, again, an answer "in English, please". Amorim, again, apologetically insisted on speaking Portuguese.
"Why?" Cotterill said.
Amorim apologised again, appearing to get somewhat exasperated and gesturing to the other media in the room.
"They will miss me in Portuguese, so I have to speak Portuguese," he said.
Cotterill complained "they've had about 25 minutes in Portuguese, we want 10 seconds in English" and when he was told once more the press conference would continue in Portuguese, Cotterill again expressed his displeasure.
"It's like cold shoulder to all your English fans," he said.
Amorim again could only laugh it off and apologise once more, before answering, with translations saying he was maintaining his focus on Sporting until officially joined the Premier League giants.
Four other journalists asked questions in English before and after Cotterill, and accepted their answers in Portuguese.
Cotterill was the only English-language reporter who did not introduce himself in the media conference with his name and organisation, as is customary.
Cotterill was pilloried on social media for appearing "entitled", but former Crystal Palace owner and pundit Simon Jordan said the UK-based reporter and the incoming manager were both in "a very odd situation".
"I always get slightly irritated … that [journalists] have this sense of entitlement what they can and can't ask and sometimes the questions are ridiculously banal," Jordan said on TalkSport.
"I also think it's a difficult one for him. This is a very rare situation — you've got the new Manchester United manager in situ in a dugout of another football club, playing an English team in the Champions League.
"Did he push it too far? I don't think it was right for Gary to say 'you're giving your English fans the cold shoulder' that could come back and bite Amorim on the backside later on."
Cotterill had already spoken to Amorim just days before his signing with Man United was made official, saying he was "impressive" while handling sometimes "heated" questions about his future in Portuguese and English after a League Cup win.
"As a big part of the (sic) being the Manchester United manager is being used to the spotlight in good times and bad times — and he is clearly good at that, speaking perfect English," Cotterill wrote on Sky Sports a week ago.
"When I asked him whether or not he'd be in the dugout on Sunday at Old Trafford he said 'I'll be here' and I said 'are you sure?'."
"He smiled, replying 'I don't know.'."
