Bruno Fernandes began his professional career in Italy with Novara in 2012. After playing for Udinese from 2013 to 2016, he returned to Portugal to play for Sporting. He has been with Man Utd since early 2020. The 31-year-old has won three titles with Sporting, two with Man Utd, and two Nations League titles with Portugal.
The following is an interview between journalist Kelly Somers and Bruno Fernandes, published on BBC on 13/9.
 |
Bruno Fernandes celebrates a 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford on 17/3/2024. Photo: AP |
Bruno Fernandes celebrates a 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford on 17/3/2024. Photo: AP
Somers asked Fernandes which retired player he would most like to have played against. “I've played against almost all my idols, except Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho,” Fernandes said. “Ronaldinho was basically my first love in football. He made everyone love and enjoy football. It was exciting to watch him play. He always had a smile on his face, with the ball, performing well in every situation. That's what most people want to see. Unfortunately for most of my generation, he didn't play as long as we hoped.”
When asked which player he would choose to take a penalty to win the Champions League final, Fernandes chose Cristiano Ronaldo. “Probably most people in the football world would choose the same, for the way he deals with pressure, 20 years playing at the highest level, delivering year after year, the best stats, the top performances and everything.”
Asked to describe himself as a young boy, Fernandes replied, “A dreamer, passionate about everything, always with a ball under my arm, loving to leave the house with my cousins and friends, not just to play football, but to do anything possible to enjoy childhood. I was a very happy kid.”
Fernandes described his most memorable childhood experience: “I have so many great moments as a child. Obviously, playing football will always be the greatest childhood moment, the feeling of taking the ball to school, waiting for the bell to ring, running onto the pitch and getting there first. There are many, many, many good things, so I can't say which moment is the most memorable.”
His first team was Infesta. “I went there as a futsal player,” Fernandes said, “but I only trained once and then had to play with older players. It was a great moment for me, because I learned from adversity when I was smaller and weaker than them. When I understood that I would have to face such challenges in life, I became mentally stronger.”
Fernandes credits his family as the biggest influence on his career. “Growing up, my parents never let me think that I couldn't do something. But at the same time, they also put me in a difficult position, like don't think too high and don't think too low. So, just set a limit, put your dream there, and just go after it.” He continued, “My wife now is the same. She always keeps me at the starting point low. She supports me a lot, but it's always like: be aware that things may not go your way. So, don't think too much about the future. Now we pass that on to our children. It's great that my wife and I think very similarly.” He added, “Finally, Francesco Guidolin (coach at Udinese) was the coach who had the biggest influence on my career. He pushed me, made me think about everything I needed to do, made me learn that to reach the highest level, you will have to suffer.”
He is most proud of everything in his career so far. “I never thought I would achieve as much as I have,” he explained. “My only thought was to enjoy playing football for the rest of my life. I didn't know and didn't want to do anything else. For me, football is the most important thing, not a career.”
 |
Fernandes celebrates during Man Utd's 3-2 Premier League win over Burnley. Photo: PA |
Fernandes celebrates during Man Utd's 3-2 Premier League win over Burnley. Photo: PA
Fernandes believes the most difficult thing about playing football is consistency. “Throughout the 90 minutes, you have to be really consistent in everything you do,” he stated. “Sometimes, you lose consistency and then everything changes. You need to be consistent in thinking what is best for the team. Then, you have to put yourself in the best position to help the team. When I step onto the pitch, I always keep in mind that I have to be the most consistent and accurate player possible in every moment, not just when I have the ball, not when I don't have the ball, but also in the things you have to say to your teammates when you want to change positions, change set pieces to be accurate.”
On what people misunderstand about him, Fernandes responded, “Nothing. People have their opinions about me, and I can't change that. It's how people judge based on what they see on the pitch, on TV, or in interviews. I can't change that. They have the freedom to think about me the way they want, just as I have the freedom to think about them. I don't judge others until I understand them well. They can have opinions about me, that's okay, we all have our own opinions, and that's why life is so good and different. If we all thought the same, it would be boring.”
If he could wear an invisibility cloak for a day, Fernandes would spend it with his children. “I would go with my children wherever they want,” he said. “Sometimes it's hard to go with my children at certain times. They are very aware of people asking for photos and things like that. When someone asks to take a picture with me, they will separate and look at me as if 'take a picture'. I also want to take my children to the places I went to as a child, without them having to stop constantly. I don't mind when people ask for photos, but it's different when it happens when I'm doing something with my children. One of the good things about our job is being recognized by people. In a few years, when I'm no longer recognized as much, it will be okay.”
Thanh Quy (according to BBC)
