In the fourth round of the Champions League group stage, Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Roma 3-2 at home. Bruno Fernandes scored a penalty and Matheus Cunha netted a brace as Manchester United ended a nine-game winless run in all competitions. After the match, Bruno Fernandes spoke to TNT Sports Brazil about the victory, the team's recent struggles, and the external factors affecting the team.
Bruno, I imagine the past few weeks have felt long for you, especially as a leader of this team. If I'm not mistaken, you've been here for almost seven years, since 2019, right? What does it feel like to be in this position, wearing this shirt, and experiencing a night like this?
It's an honor to be here. No matter what moments we go through, good or bad, they are part of football, and they will always exist. I hope the good moments outweigh the difficult ones.
Tonight was a special night for us, especially in the second half. Winning again after such a long time is obviously very special for us. To do it at home, in front of our fans and in this manner, makes it even better. We are very happy with the result.
You said it's clearly an honor to be part of this. We also know that responsibility is itself an honor, as Matheus just said, because wearing this shirt is a responsibility. But when results are not as expected, given everything that happens here, that responsibility clearly brings a certain amount of pressure. What do you make of the voices outside the club? Some people wonder whether the players realize how heavy this responsibility is, or whether they are showing the intensity and attitude they should. What do you think about this period? Can you pinpoint the problem?
It's a difficult situation, and there isn't just one problem but several. There are many things that need to be improved and done differently.
Unfortunately, this situation has gone on for a long time, which makes things even harder. We know that nobody at this club is here not to win, and nobody comes to this club not to win. Everyone believes that when we sign for this club and represent it, it's to pursue bigger goals.
But unfortunately, that hasn't been the case in recent years. It has always been difficult, and we've been through some very striking moments, because it's hard to reach the league position we want, to be where we hope to be, and to compete for the trophies we desire. But as Matheus said, wearing this shirt is a huge responsibility, and we must see it as an honor. Many players dream of coming here one day, and we are fortunate to experience all of this today. We must live the good moments in the same way we live the difficult ones.
As I just mentioned, can you identify what went wrong in the last few games? Do you think you have the answer to that question?
It comes down to confidence at this club. When results are not good and things are not going well, the situation becomes very difficult. There are many external factors beyond the dressing room, the players and the staff that affect the club's performance and what we can do on the pitch.
These things affect many players. Some handle them better, others less so. But I think we also think a lot for ourselves and have high expectations of ourselves. When things ultimately don't go as planned, we get frustrated because we can't give the club what we truly believe we can, and mentally, it's a big blow.