In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Bruno Fernandes has discussed the response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan.
In recently released footage by the Portuguese FA, it seemed Bruno Fernandes acted cooly with his Ronaldo teammate, in what was their first meeting after his Portugal and Manchester United’s explosive interview on Talk TV.
However, the midfielder has been quick to stymie any claims of disharmony between the two, emphasising that he and Ronaldo were in fact sharing a joke in the footage.
Speaking to Sky Sports following his side’s 4-0 win in a World Cup warm-up game against Nigeria, the Portugal man had this to say.
“I have no problem with anyone.
“I do my job and as a manager once said to me, everything that you can control is yourself. I think everyone thinks the same way, you have to control yourself, give your best and that’s it.”
Asked if he gave Ronaldo the cold shoulder, Fernandes replied: “Why do you say that?
“They put the sound [on] after. Did you hear it with the sound? You have to.
“In Portugal we have a problem, that I was watching one of the channels that was talking about that, ‘was cold, was bad’, for 45 minutes.
“All of a sudden they go to a break, the national team send it with sound.
“The sound says that he is joking with me and so they come back and said there was a joke and they cut there. They said, ‘if you want to see again just go back’, but if they go back they will see there’s a problem. But if they are really true and explain what was in that video people will know, but now people don’t know.”
Ronaldo’s interview has caused outrage.
In the two-part programme, he criticised both his manager, Erik Ten Hag, and the club owners the Glazer family.
It has led to huge backlash, with United reportedly looking into ways to terminate the 37-year-old’s contract.
Fernandes has made clear this is not his current concern.
“This is the national team, Manchester United will be my focus after the World Cup.”
He said: “I didn’t read the interview so I’m okay with that.
“Now it’s the national team, it’s Portugal. The coach made a point that it’s us. He’s made that point since I came to the national team in 2017 and that is still clear that in his mind the main thing here is the national team and us.
“We have to be focused on the World Cup because a World Cup doesn’t come every time. You don’t have a chance to play a World Cup many times.
“Cristiano will play in his fifth World Cup so everyone is ready for that and everyone wants to give their best for the team.”
Portugal start their World Cup campaign on Thursday 24th November when they face Ghana.
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