Bruno Fernandes #8

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Fernandes revealed recently in an interview with the Portuguese FA TV channel that he refused to leave Sporting for rivals Benfica in the aftermath of the attack by Sporting fans on the club academy, back in 2018. Seven years later, he turned down an astronomical salary to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, even though he felt that the Manchester United management was pushing him out: “The club wanted me to go. I told the directors that. I think they didn't have the courage to make that decision because the coach [Ruben Amorim] wanted me to stay. If I had said I wanted to leave, the club would have let me go.” Captain at United, he is also one of the leaders in the national team. He is also a staunch defender of Cristiano Ronaldo. “I know there are people who say the national team plays better without Cristiano, that the players are freer,” he says. “If that is the case, it is partly our fault. We don't need to be restricted just because he is on the pitch. He remains a top-level player inside the area and he draws defenders and creates spaces.”

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