“Misunderstood” Bruno Fernandes Explains Why He Wails His Arms at Teammates

• Portugal star Bruno Fernandes has addressed his viral on-pitch antics
• The Man United captain is often criticized for ‘moaning too much’
• He however claims he is ‘naturally intense’ and it is part of his game

Bruno Fernandes has openly talked about the notion that he complains too much on the pitch as he said he was naturally ‘intense’.

The 29-year-old has come under criticism over the years for his antics on the pitch, which mainly involve flaring up his arms in protest.

Erik ten Hag handed the Portuguese midfielder the armband last season, and this only increased Fernandes’ antics off the ball. Stats show he is among the most yellow-carded players this season for dissent.

“Fernandes says he is naturally intense”

In his defence, Fernandes claims he is greatly misunderstood, further explaining that his so-called antics are for the good of the team.

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The playmaker admitted that since he was handed the armband, criticism towards him only soared, which was something he expected.

"This [being demanding] often conveys the image of bad temper, because it comes from the way we experience the game, from how we are so intense... and intense players are difficult to understand,' he told Portuguese outlet A Bola.

He added: “I have this notion that there are probably a lot of people who don't like certain things I do, but in every locker room I go to, I always say that if a player doesn't feel comfortable with the way I talk to him, with the way I convey the message to you, I am open to not doing it or to trying to do it in another way.”

On wailing his arms up to address his teammates, Fernandes insists it is a natural reaction, especially when addressing a teammate who is far away.

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“Normally, we have to use our arms more, gesture. We are too far away from each other to be able to understand the messages we want to convey to each other.”

In his latest game for United, the captain received plaudits for guiding his side to a hard-fought 4-3 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final.

Despite battling a dead leg, the midfielder played 120 minutes and was deployed as a centre back in the closing stages of the match, according to ESPN.

Why Fernandes doesn’t get injured

Elsewhere, Sports Brief also reported on why Fernandes hardly gets any injuries.

The midfielder has not missed a single game for Manchester United through physical injury since signing for the Red Devils in 2020.

Before joining United, Fernandes missed a game for Sampdoria through illness and was absent from Portugal's Euro 2020 qualifiers against Ukraine with leg discomfort.

In total, he has only missed five days of football action because he was not in peak physical condition.