Ahead of Manchester United’s Europa League fixture against Milan, Gazzetta dello Sport managed to get hold of one of the biggest names in football these days: Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese midfielder has taken English football by storm ever since his transfer to Old Trafford from Sporting CP, putting up mind boggling numbers of 35 goals and 21 assists in 63 appearances for the Premier League club.
The 26-year-old also appears to be just getting started, clearly happy with life under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, having come a long way from his time in Italy, where he spent five years, splitting his time between Novara, Udinese and Sampdoria.
Already showcasing his ability at Sporting CP, his world changed entirely in 2020, when Manchester United decided to spend around £50m on him following a very long pursuit.
Gazzetta dello Sport asked him about the past year, to which he replied: “For me, 2020 was special. From a professional point of view, it was the best year ever: the transfer to United, the Premier League, 12 months of satisfaction on the pitch.
“Outside, it was complicated: the distance with the family, the protection from the virus, the difficulty in keeping the small children at home who struggle to understand the reasons for the restrictions”.
The Italian newspaper also wanted to hear a bit about his thoughts regarding the upcoming Europa League clash with Milan.
He added: “In some respects, we and Milan are the same. Two clubs with a prestigious past, 10 Champions Leagues in the trophy room, which have gone through a transition phase, but are returning to the top. At the start of the season, no one thought Milan could fight for the Scudetto.
“We are in March and they are second, playing well, have interesting young players and have the added value of Ibrahimović’s strength”.
As for what he does besides playing football, Bruno Fernandes didn’t hide his desire to one day become a manager, explaining he ‘tries to follow other leagues’, ‘reads’ and ‘informs himself’.
And no interview could be complete these days without talking about Marcus Rashford and his off-field exploits during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fernandes said: “Marcus has accomplished an extraordinary feat. He has set in motion a formidable machine. He shook the conscience of the country”.
