On Monday, we had an article explaining how Fernandinho has fought his way back to the Brazilian national team, and manager Pep Guardiola had a big part in this process.
The midfielder ended up being the one who gave Brazil’s first press conference for the next couple of games, and many of the questions were related to his work with the Catalan manager.
Speaking to the Brazilian media today (via Globo Esporte), he was asked to mention similarities between Guardiola and the Brazil manager Tite.
“The player feels important, part of the group, feels he has the confidence and support of the manager. It gives opening for the exchange of ideas. The careers of the two speak for themselves.”
Asked about his positioning, the player answered: “I played as a defensive midfielder in the last three years, it’s been good to play alongside great players. This season with the arrival of a new coach, there’s a new way to play, a new tactical scheme, it’s been very good.
“We achieved good results right away, created great expectations, but we are at the beginning. I am happy to live this moment, but we have a long way to go.”
Fernandinho also talked about Guardiola’s influence in the new game style played by Manchester City: “You can see a big difference collectively. Individually, in my case, the first step was the physical part.
“I had a very big learning curve on the tactical side, offensive and defensive positioning, the matter of orienting the teammates next to me. And with the ball, body positioning, how to give a faster dynamic to the game.”
Brazil are playing Bolivia on Thursday and Venezuela on Tuesday. Tite’s side is currently in second place in the South American World Cup Qualifiers, only one point behind Uruguay.
It’s crucial for Brazil to come out of the games with good results, to continue a good feeling forged by the Olympics. If Brazil can get out of Fernandinho what Guardiola has managed to at Manchester City then it will certainly improve them as a team, and provide Tite with a dependable option.
