Man Utd midfielder Bruno Fernandes still unhappy with Pep Guardiola: ‘He didn’t deserve my respect’
Bruno Fernandes has said that he shushed Pep Guardiola because he “didn’t deserve his respect”.
The 25-year-old Manchester United midfielder was caught making the gesture to the Manchester City boss during the Red Devils’ 2-0 victory over their bitter rivals last Sunday.
Bruno’s impact: Five things to know…
- After a seemingly never-ending transfer saga, Bruno Fernades has hit the ground running at Old Trafford.
- He’s been directly involved in more PL goals (five) than any other player since making his debut.
- His delightful free-kick set up Martial’s opener in the derby win.
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has compared him to Paul Scholes.
- He’s been directly involved in more Europa League goals than any other player this season.
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Fernandes was excellent at Old Trafford once again in the Manchester derby. His cheeky pass to Martial set up the opener and he could well have had a goal for himself had the Frenchman and Daniel James got their heads up at the right time.
A video went viral of the playmaker telling Guardiola to be quiet at the end of the game, something which down very well with the United fanbase. After the game, he explained the incident.
“I talked about this with some friends and some people think: ‘Pep won everything, who is Bruno to diss him?’, but I think it is about respect,” he told Sky Sports.
“Now, I think outside of the pitch I don’t do this again if I am on the pitch now. But, at that moment the words he told me made me mad, and on the pitch I am a little bit nervous, it is the kind of player I am.
“I have respect for Pep and what he won, and what he did for football because he changed some mentalities in football.
“But, at that moment he didn’t respect me and so he didn’t deserve my respect at that moment on the pitch.
“But for me it doesn’t matter. What goes on in the pitch, out of it, for me, it’s past.”
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What could have been…
Despite the persistent reports linking Fernandes with the red side of Manchester until he joined, there were also suggestions that he was a target of Pep and City.
Of course, they’re not exactly short of options in central midfield: when you have players like Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Phil Foden spending a lot of their season on the bench, it’s clear that you’re spoiled for choice.
However, Bruno’s start to life in England is showing that, maybe, he could have cemented a place in City’s side. His desire to get on the ball and make things happen is admirable and he actually shoots from range: something Pep’s sides are, historically, very afraid to do. Although to be fair, we imagine that’s his orders.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know. For now, Pep must look on in envy.
