Ruben Amorim enjoyed a triumphant Sporting CP farewell ahead of his move to Manchester United, then declared it was the right time for him to think of his own career.
Amorim will officially take charge of the Red Devils on Monday, with Ruud van Nistelrooy having led the team as interim coach since Erik ten Hag was sacked last month.
His glittering spell with Sporting ended with a 4-2 victory at Braga on Sunday, their 11th win in as many Primeira Liga matches this campaign.
Speaking to reporters at his post-match press conference, Amorim said: "It's difficult to summarise everything at this point. It was an incredible adventure.
"I always seemed to have all the certainties, but at some stages I had many doubts, so I insist that none of this was achieved alone. I arrived in a complicated period. I am the one who says thank you to the Sporting fans.
"I did what I could, I made some mistakes, showed some stubbornness, but I was always thinking about what was best for the team.
"This time, it was the only time I thought of myself, but I had to. I felt that it was my time and my path. When I felt this, I had to leave, because I have to be full-time."
Amorim's first match in charge of United will be at Ipswich Town in the Premier League on November 24, with his first Old Trafford outing coming against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League four days later.
Barcelona's seven-match winning streak was brought crashing to a halt on Sunday as Real Sociedad handed them a 1-0 defeat in LaLiga, courtesy of Sheraldo Becker's goal.
Becker's first-half strike was enough to deal Hansi Flick just his second league loss in charge of the Blaugrana, as they allowed title rivals Real Madrid to make up ground at the summit.
Becker beat Flick's aggressive offside trap in the 33rd minute, racing onto a Luka Sucic header before slotting a tidy finish just inside the post.
With star winger Lamine Yamal absent due to a muscle injury, Barcelona struggled for chances after Robert Lewandowski saw an early strike chalked off for offside following a VAR review.
In truth, La Real were unfortunate not to win by a greater margin. Mikel Oyarzabal missed a glorious chance following good work from Takefusa Kubo just before half-time, with the home skipper also drawing Inaki Pena into action in the second period.
They ultimately did not need a second goal, however, and the victory takes them eighth in LaLiga with 19 points, six adrift of the top four.
Barcelona still lead the standings on 33 points, six ahead of Real Madrid, who have a game in hand in second, while Atletico Madrid are third on 26 points.
Data Debrief: Blaugrana fire a blank
Barcelona could have no complaints about the result on Sunday, having failed to register a single shot on target.
It is just the second time they have failed to do so in LaLiga since Opta records began in 2003-04, after a goalless draw with Malaga in 2014 under Luis Enrique.
After scoring 29 goals across a seven-match winning run that included routs of Real Madrid (4-0), Bayern Munich (4-1), Sevilla (5-1), Young Boys (5-0) and Red Star Belgrade (5-2), the result represents a harsh reality check for Flick's team.
Hakan Calhanoglu went from hero to villain as Inter drew 1-1 with Serie A title rivals Napoli, scoring a stunning equaliser then missing a late penalty.
Inter had fallen behind against the run of play in the 23rd minute, with Scott McTominay continuing his fine form by poking home from close range after a Napoli corner was flicked on.
Two minutes before the break, Calhanoglu equalised with a powerful strike from outside the box, which beat Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret before nestling in the top corner.
The Turkey international, who had scored 17 successive spot-kicks in the league for Inter, then had the chance to win it in the 74th minute after Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa fouled Denzel Dumfries.
However, he left San Siro in stunned silence when he hit the post from 12 yards, ensuring the two Scudetto contenders had to settle for a point apiece.
Napoli top the table with 26 points from 12 games, while Inter sit fourth with 25, with the Nerazzurri also behind Atalanta and Fiorentina on goal difference.
Data Debrief: Nothing to separate title rivals
Napoli may have retained their slender lead at the top of Serie A, but their failure to take all three points ensured Atalanta and Fiorentina ended the matchday two points closer than they started it.
The Partenopei have gone two straight games in Serie A without winning for the first time under Conte, having also lost 3-0 to Atalanta last time out.
They have, however, remained unbeaten in their last two games against Inter when starting the matchday top of Serie A (one win, one draw), after two such defeats versus the Nerazzurri. If the teams are to go head-to-head for the title, this could prove an important point.
Roma have parted company with boss Ivan Juric, the second head coach the Giallorossi have sacked already this season.
Juric took charge in September, becoming their third permanent boss in the space of eight months when he succeeded Danielle De Rossi, who himself took the reigns after Jose Mourinho was fired in January.
However, he failed to inspire an upturn in their fortunes, with Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico being their fourth in their last five league matches.
That is more losses than they suffered in their previous 13 Serie A outings (four wins, six draws, three defeats). Since the start of matchday eight, only Como (one) have earned fewer points than the Giallorossi's three.
Sitting 12th in Serie A, this is their joint-worst start to a campaign in the last 20 years, having also taken 13 points from their first 12 matches in 2004-05.
"We would like to thank Ivan Juric for his hard work these past weeks," Roma said in a statement.
"He handled a difficult environment with the utmost professionalism, and for that we are grateful...
"The search for a new head coach has already begun and an announcement will be made in the coming days."
Reports in Italy have suggested Roberto Mancini, who left his role as Saudi Arabia head coach earlier this month, is locked in negotiations with the club and could take the reins.
Roma face a challenging set of fixtures after the international break, as they visit Scudetto contenders Napoli on November 24, before going to Tottenham in the Europa League and hosting high-flying Atalanta in the league.
The Giallorossi's owners, the Friedkin Group, are currently locked in talks to purchase Farhad Moshiri's controlling 94% stake in Premier League club Everton.
Rangers boss Philippe Clement called on his team to show greater ruthlessness after they were made to work for a 1-0 win over Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
Cyriel Dessers put the Gers ahead after just six minutes at Ibrox, diverting James Tavernier's effort past visiting goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
However, Clement's team failed to build on that quick start and inched over the line amid a tense atmosphere, moving back to within nine points of pacesetters Celtic and Aberdeen.
Speaking after the game, Clement acknowledged his players are fatigued after a gruelling run of fixtures but added they must start taking their chances.
"We made too many wrong choices with the ball and became too sloppy," Clement said.
"It's the end of a very busy period, though, with a lot of travelling and they're all human beings, not robots.
"We missed scoring the second goal and we know that until you get that goal the other team stays in the game, so I want us to kill the belief of the opponent faster.
"I'm very satisfied with the result and the deserved three points. We didn't show the same quality in the second half and we didn't finish off the game. We had a few chances, but it stays nervous until the last second."
Rangers host Dundee United after the international break, while Celtic visit Hearts and Aberdeen travel to St. Mirren.
Gregor Townsend was immensely proud of his Scotland side after they pushed world champions South Africa close in a thrilling Test.
Scotland ultimately went down 15-32 on Sunday, though the 17-point margin of victory flattered South Africa at Murrayfield.
The Springboks were fortunate that Scotland failed to capitalise on a period of intense pressure during the second half, in which the hosts created plenty of opportunities.
To make Scotland's task harder, they had to play 20 minutes of the second half with 14 players after Scott Cummings was given a yellow card that was upgraded to a 20-minute red.
Makazole Mapimpi scored two first-half tries for South Africa, with Thomas du Toit and Jasper Wiese also going over. Scotland did not score a try, with Finn Russell kicking all of their points.
"There is not that much disappointment, to be honest," Scotland coach Townsend reflected.
"I'm proud. It was one of our best performances in the last two or three years, built on effort and physicality.
"We put ourselves in positions to score points. It was frustrating not to get that try before half-time, but we put in a huge effort.
"We needed to be ahead of the scoreboard in the final ten minutes, and that’s on us to make sure we are able to nail the skill and execute.
"I thought our defence was outstanding today in holding out South Africa a few times. We were getting penalties and pressure – I thought there could have potentially been another yellow card. But there are ways we have to be better, like executing that final pass under pressure."
Elsewhere, Wales suffered a 10th straight Test loss, equalling their worst ever run, as they went down 19-24 to Fiji in Cardiff.
Caleb Muntz scored 19 points for Fiji, who overcame a 20-minute red card for Semi Radradra, and the pressure is mounting on Wales coach Warren Gatland ahead of meetings with Australia and South Africa.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was proud of how his players dug deep to earn their fourth straight win in all competitions, beating Real Mallorca 1-0 in LaLiga.
Julian Alvarez scored for the seventh time since his arrival from Manchester City as Los Colchoneros earned a hard-fought away win on Sunday.
The win took them third in the table, just one point behind second-placed Real Madrid and seven behind leaders Barcelona.
Simeone said his side had not let Wednesday's last-gasp 2-1 win over Paris-Saint Germain in the Champions League go to their heads as he praised their defensive work.
"The players made a huge effort and worked hard after our game in Paris; it wasn't easy to get away from all the praise they got and work with humility to defend all the crosses that Mallorca make in every game," Simeone said at a post-match press conference.
"In football you always live for today, as in life; what came before, what you enjoyed yourself, what you did... they are just memories. You have to deliver it here and now, it's the reality of life, the day to day.
"In the first half we lacked more collective play, in the second half it was different, we competed better in the opposition's half and after the goal we had our chances to go out with a bigger win."
Simeone heaped particular praise on Alvarez, adding: "I don't follow their numbers and I don't care about it but I love him.
"He has personality, class, humility, hard work and goals. Let's hope he continues in this vein of form because that's what we were hoping for.
"I don't dwell on results but in the last few games I can see a clear idea. We won a Copa del Rey match, then in LaLiga against Las Palmas, at PSG on Wednesday and today once again we gave joy to our fans, which is what it's all about."
Yangel Herrera's header late in the first half proved enough for Girona to see off Getafe 1-0 on Sunday.
It means Girona have won back-to-back LaLiga games for just the second time this season.
Herrera headed home in the 42nd minute of a match devoid of much in the way of attacking quality from either team.
Indeed, there were just 11 shots throughout, with Getafe having eight and Girona three, with the hosts failing to get any of their attempts on target.
Between them, the teams combined for just 0.52 expected goals (xG) - 0.33 for Getafe and 0.19 for Girona.
The result lifted struggling Girona to 18 points and into ninth place, with Getafe 17th on 10 points.
Data Debrief: Heads up for Herrera
Herrera's goal was his second in the league this season, with his first having also been a header.
Only Thierno Barry (three) has scored more headed goals in LaLiga this term.
Getafe, meanwhile, have won only one of their 13 matches in LaLiga in 2024-25, which matches their worst record at this stage of a season, set in 2021-22.
Mikel Arteta said Arsenal must not accept the standards they showed defensively for Chelsea's equaliser in Sunday's 1-1 draw.
Pedro Neto slammed in from distance at Stamford Bridge, 10 minutes after Gabriel Martinelli had put the Gunners ahead.
Arsenal squandered a golden chance late on, when Leandro Trossard nudged wide from William Saliba's cross, leaving Arteta rolling on the touchline in frustration.
But Arteta, who believes Arsenal "dominated" Chelsea despite the Blues registering 17 shots and 1.28 expected goals (xG), singled out the defending for Neto's equaliser as particularly frustrating.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta said: "The disappointment of not getting three points is bigger [than being satisfied] and it will probably be bigger after watching it back.
"I think we dominated them, we were the better team in many phases and situations in the game and after going ahead, very disappointed in the way we conceded.
"It was so poor. It is not [at] our standards and we don't accept [it].
"It is a second phase set piece and we were disorganised. We didn't reorganise quickly enough and you can't allow the pass that way. You need the quality of Neto to do it but our standards were not good enough."
Arsenal have gone four consecutive Premier League games without a win for the first time since April 2023 (D2 L2); the Gunners had picked up all three points in 21 of their previous 25 league matches before this (D3 L1).
This was the fourth time that Arsenal have faced 15+ shots in a Premier League game this season, already twice as many times as they did so across the whole of the 2023-24 campaign (twice).
Arteta was at least buoyed by the return to fitness of Martin Odegaard, who assisted Martinelli on his first appearance since September. Declan Rice, who missed Wednesday's loss to Inter in the Champions League, also played despite injury concerns.
"[He] has been out for six weeks and barely trained with the team," Arteta said of Odegaard, who played the entire match.
"To be able to play at this level in the Premier League tells you how much he looks after himself and the leadership and character he has. Everything flows better with players like this. We clicked much better. You could see everything was flowing but again it is about winning.
"What we have found is that every day we have had to change something big, because we've had problem after problem.
"Normally the team goes down but this team has unbelievable energy and spirit to play."
The draw left Arsenal in fourth, nine points back from Premier League leaders Liverpool heading into the final international break of 2024.
Chelsea did not get the result they wanted but Enzo Maresca believed his team made a statement by fighting back to draw with Arsenal.
Pedro Neto's first Premier League goal for the Blues saw Chelsea restore parity in the 70th minute of Sunday's clash at Stamford Bridge.
Gabriel Martinelli had put the Gunners ahead 10 minutes earlier, and Leandro Trossard squandered a great chance for Arsenal with the final kick of the game.
Chelsea finished with more shots (17 to 13) and a higher expected goals (1.28 to 0.99), and Maresca was satisfied with their performance.
"I enjoyed it, absolutely. The performance was good," he told BBC Sport.
"We know them quite well and we competed pretty well. The performance is very important for us in this moment and it was good. We can rest now and go again.
"The performance from Pedro [Neto] was very good. We played in the way we wanted to, brave, and try and play from the back always.
"It is the way we want to do things. We try and play face-to-face against every team. We are Chelsea, so it is important to send this message."
Neto has now either scored (two) or assisted (one) in each of his last three Premier League starts against Arsenal, with Sunday's goal ending a run of 17 league appearances in a row without him finding the net.
His goal was his first from outside the box in the Premier League since January 1, 2020.
"We wanted to win, but we knew we had hard work in front of us because they are a good team," he told Sky Sports.
"We came to win, so we're not as happy as we wanted to be, but we didn't want to lose and it's a good point against a good team.
"We read the game well. We had moments we could have been better but we've done a good job and we want to keep improving at this level."
The draw ensured Chelsea will end a day in the top three places of the Premier League table for the first time since the final day of the 2021-22 season, when they finished in third.
They face Maresca's former club, Leicester City, after the international break.
Ruud van Nistelrooy praised Manchester United's fight to earn a 3-0 win against Leicester City in his final game as interim manager.
The Dutchman took over after Erik ten Hag's dismissal last month and went unbeaten in his short stint, winning three of his games and drawing the other, with Ruben Amorim set to take over from Monday.
Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho got the goals on either side of Victor Kristiansen turning into the back of his own net to earn United just their fourth Premier League win of the campaign.
United are now unbeaten in 19 straight Premier League games against promoted sides, taking 53 of a possible 57 points across these matches (W17 D2). Their last such defeat came away to Claudio Ranieri's Watford back in November 2021 (1-4).
It is not yet clear if Van Nistelrooy will remain at the club on Amorim's coaching staff, but the former United striker is proud of his short time in charge at Old Trafford.
"It was professional, you could see that players were fighting through the game," he told BBC Sport. "We scored two great goals and there were some good bits, but we didn't have real control of the game.
"I really enjoyed it [being interim manager], it's been a short but amazing period. We are in an uncertain position, but we tried to do our jobs and help the club, which is important.
"There are a lot of feelings there, the way the fans supported me and the team always in difficult moments. It was a special moment. To close down this block of games with good results and a good connection, I can't thank them enough.
"We will learn what the plan is now.
"This spell was a big responsibility; I took it very seriously. I wanted to help and get United into a better place. That was my goal. With three wins and a draw, it's a standard where you want to grow to as a club.
"The connection with the fans was there, I really felt it. This is what United is really about."
Going into their match against Leicester, United had scored just nine league goals, their lowest-ever tally after 10 games in Premier League history.
Fernandes scored four goals under Van Nistelrooy’s leadership, having failed to hit the back of the net in the league before that, bringing up his 100th goal involvement in the Premier League with his assist for Garnacho.
"You saw the class of the team in our goals, we also gave very little away," Van Nistelrooy added.
"We tried to stabilise after a difficult and emotional period. We wanted to get players performing at their best, we got the right feeling to them and got them to believe in themselves.
"It was an important three points. In the four games, Bruno scored some important goals, assisting too, so he is back producing. That's the Bruno that is helping the team the most.
"I spoke to Alejandro Garnacho before the game, he has played a lot of minutes, and I wanted him to make an impact off the bench, and I'm glad it worked out. We said: 'Let's make the most of these four games', get the maximum out of it and I think we did an OK job."
Arsenal squandered a golden last-gasp chance as they failed to make up ground on Premier League leaders Liverpool after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Having lost two of their last three league games, Mikel Arteta's Gunners entered Sunday's match 10 points adrift of Liverpool and in need of a victory.
Though Kai Havertz saw a first-half strike disallowed for offside after latching onto Declan Rice's quick free-kick, Arsenal were en route to claiming that win when Gabriel Martinelli – assisted by fit-again captain Martin Odegaard – struck on the hour.
The Brazilian was played onside by Levi Colwill as he took down Odegaard's excellent pass from the corner of the box, allowing him to side-foot past Robert Sanchez at his near post.
However, their lead was short-lived as Pedro Neto cut inside from the right to drill into the bottom-right corner 10 minutes later, scoring his first Premier League goal for Chelsea.
Leandro Trossard failed to capitalise on a brilliant opportunity with the last kick of the game as he took William Saliba's searching left-wing cross off Havertz's toe with the goal gaping, leaving Arsenal winless in four Premier League games.
They sit fourth with 19 points, behind third-placed Chelsea on goal difference and already nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
Data Debrief: Shaky defence prolongs Arsenal slump
Having been beaten at Bournemouth and Newcastle United either side of a 2-2 home draw with Liverpool ahead of Sunday's game, Arsenal have now gone four Premier League matches without a victory.
They last endured a run of that length in April 2023, when their title tilt fell apart at the tail end of the 2022-23 campaign. They had won 21 of their previous 25 league games before their current run began (three draws, one loss).
Arsenal never truly felt in control of proceedings and Chelsea – who fired off 17 attempts – deserved their point after a battling performance.
Arteta's team have now faced 15 or more shots in four Premier League games this season, already twice as many times as they did across the entirety of 2023-24 (twice).
Sheffield United joined leaders Sunderland at the top of the Championship table after a hard-fought 1-0 win against local rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
After a goalless first half, Tyrese Campbell latched onto a pass from Callum O'Hare and slotted past Wednesday goalkeeper James Beadle for the winner five minutes into the second period.
This was the Blades' sixth consecutive clean sheet at Bramall Lane and their fourth straight win home or away, and sees them go level with Sunderland on 31 points from 15 matches.
Meanwhile, Burnley are four points behind the top two after they snatched a last-gasp 1-0 victory against visitors Swansea City.
Jay Rodriguez's stoppage-time penalty secured the points for the Clarets at Turf Moor, ending their four-match winless run and climbing to fourth in the table.
Celtic beat Kilmarnock 2-0 on Sunday to return to the top of the Scottish Premiership table, showing "another side" to their play after stunning RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
Brendan Rodgers' side defeated German side Leipzig 3-1 on Tuesday to put themselves in a strong position in the league phase of the Champions League, but their attentions returned to domestic action this weekend.
And after Aberdeen eased past Dundee, Celtic knew they must win again to reclaim top spot on goal difference.
Goals from Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn ensured they did just that, although it was a battle for the champions.
"They're totally different games, more fighting football [against Kilmarnock] and what you've got to contend with," Celtic boss Rodgers told Sky Sports.
"But I thought the players were absolutely brilliant, how they had to defend the pressure. The build-up comes quite direct from behind, so they know you have to stand up to the long balls and long throws and everything else.
"The players have shown this week they can deal with all types of games. Today was a brilliant, brilliant win for us and showed another side to us."
They will next face Hearts on 23 November, after the international break.
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