The phrase ‘the magic of the FA Cup’ isn’t exclusive to when lower-league sides eliminate top-flight favourites in shock results.
Case in point, on Friday the fourth-round of the 2024/25 edition of the world’s oldest cup competition kicked off with 13-time winners and current holders Manchester United hosting 2021 winners Leicester City.
The magical part of this particular fixture comes with current Foxes manager and Red Devils legend Ruud van Nistelrooy returning to the stadium where just three months ago, he was caretaker manager between Erik ten Hag and new United head coach Ruben Amorim.
As a player, Van Nistelrooy lifted the trophy once with United in 2004. And between that and his abundance of other Old Trafford memories, he attempted to put the feeling of returning there as a boss of another Premier League side into words.
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Van Nistelrooy on his 2004 Cup win
“I have good memories there, to be able to win a final,” he explained (as transcribed by the official Leicester City website).
“The (FA Cup winners) medal is in my home in the Netherlands and is there forever. It’s something I desire and something I’m proud of.
“It’s special to go back. I have history as a player, an assistant manager and a caretaker manager. That is part of me and always will be but for tomorrow the focus is on my players and my team to get the best out of them possible and perform.
“I’m focused on performing and preparing the team to be at their best and preparing in the best way possible in any part of the game and that the players go out there and do it and that they are together in how they work.
“The FA Cup is a great stage to show what you’re about. These are occasions where you can give opportunities for players. Of course, we analyse them and see where the possibilities are for us and where we need to be careful.
“That’s where the focus is for us and that’s all I’m doing at the moment. We have to look at us and you can always win a game. Away to Manchester United is always a tough one and we want to represent ourselves as well as possible.”
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Ruben Amorim on why he let Van Nistelrooy leave
When Amorim took over from Van Nistelrooy’s temporary charge at United, he made the decision not to offer the Dutchman a spot on his coaching staff.
Amorim reiterated why he made that choice shortly before the cup clash, explaining: “I think it’s really simple, and he understands.
“He’s a man of football. He understands this situation. I have my team and my staff, and I could keep Ruud, because it was a good thing for me, a popular thing to do. But then I will not put Ruud in front of my guys, no matter what.
“And then I had to put like a person like Ruud in the end of the hierarchy of my staff. And I think that was not fair for Ruud and to show respect to Ruud, I was really clear with him and I explained that I have my team, I will continue the same way.
“I will not put a guy like Ruud, a legend of this club, in the end of the hierarchy in the staff. So it was the clear decision. It was really simple to explain and he took it like a class guy, like he is.”
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