At the pre-match press conference ahead of Portugal's home fixture against Norway in the UEFA Nations League, Bruno Fernandes discussed the team's adaptation to Jorge Jesus's tactical philosophy, his own position on the pitch, and the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo. He stated that there are no divisions within the Portuguese squad and called on supporters not to take sides. This is the second part of the press conference.

Other parts of the press conference

Bruno Fernandes: Cristiano Ronaldo deserves respect; there are no divisions in the Portuguese squad, enough with drawing lines

Bruno Fernandes: Hojlund grew up idolizing Cristiano Ronaldo, I'm proud to see him mimicking the 'Siu' celebration

RTP Reporter: After the match against Denmark in Copenhagen, I think all teammates who spoke to the press, without exception, mentioned the new head coach's work. This morning we also heard the Norway coach say that Portugal should now be among the top three in European football. I want to ask, with no disrespect to the previous coach, do you feel somehow happier? Do you feel the football you're playing now better matches what you actually want to play?

I've been through this before. When we changed from Fernando Santos to Roberto Martinez, I was asked the exact same question, absolutely the same question. Back then everyone said the atmosphere became more positive after the coaching change, and everything became more relaxed. Now it's the same—after the coaching change, things became more positive and relaxed.

I think every coach has their own approach, and they're all different. Some coaches' methods suit some players better and others less well. Some players play more under one coach, others play less. But I can speak to what comes next. I'm very grateful to Fernando Santos because he was the first coach to call me up to the Portugal squad. I'm also very grateful to Roberto Martinez because he gave me many opportunities to play.

Similarly, I also thank the coach sitting next to me. As I've said, I knew his philosophy before. But I think the most important thing for us now is that everyone quickly understood and absorbed these ideas, and responded quickly to the coach's demands, especially regarding defense. This has always been the area the coach puts more energy into and personally gives detailed instructions on.

On the defensive level, not just the back line, but the pressing and how we want to press opponents. The coach pays special attention to the back line, which is very important for our defensive style. The back line's play is already very close to his requirements.

We've seen the results of this work. There's still room to grow, and there will always be room to grow in every match. But the reality is that the players have adapted well, we're playing well, and the team is winning. I think when you win, it's always easier for everyone to say the team better understands the coach's philosophy.

As soon as the first loss comes, someone might say the coach's philosophy is wrong, or that the players didn't understand his philosophy well enough. So I think the most important thing is to win matches, understand the coach's ideas as fully as possible, and then implement them on the pitch.

Ball Reporter: Against Wales you played more of a false seven role, operating in the left-center midfield zone. But in your second match, the last one, you played more as a ten or second striker. I want to ask, what's the difference between these two positions for you? Also, in your view, how can Jorge Jesus's style of play better bring out your qualities?

According to the coach's attacking requirements, these two positions are actually very similar. In defense, if my position is slightly deeper, on the left, I need to press out more, close down the opposing fullback, and follow him when he makes runs in behind.

When the ball is on the other side, I need to shift to the center to help the midfielders and prevent the opponent from having a numerical advantage in midfield. If I'm playing the position I played in the last game, I mainly need to help the forwards when pressing starts. Then, when the team drops deeper, I also become part of three center midfielders, helping block the center of the pitch and prevent the opponent from building attacks there.

With the ball, as I just said, if I start on the left, I need to try to occupy the inside space, leaving room for our fullbacks to use their qualities. Whether it's Nuno Mendes or Nuno Tavares, they advance very well, are very quick, and work effectively down the flanks.

At the same time, I also need to be near the midfielders, near those the coach calls ten, eight players, as well as the second striker and center forward, so we can play short passes the way we did against Denmark. I think it's important for me to understand these runs and combinations. But more importantly, the team needs to clearly master these ideas and be able to execute them differently in different matches to avoid predictability in our style of play. I think we're managing that.

CMTV Reporter: It's quite clear that the Portuguese team is operating in an environment unaffected by external interference, because your response on the pitch leaves no other conclusion. As a Portuguese person, I thank you for that. As a journalist, I want to ask, over the last few days everyone is talking about one and the same topic, and nothing else is being discussed. For example, by the third matchday, the Portuguese team already has as many points as all its opponents combined, but this doesn't get the attention it deserves. How does each of you deal with this situation?

It's a natural process. I'll be very frank with you, I know what you're alluding to. We're very used to this situation, we all know it. I've played with Cristiano Ronaldo at club level, and most of us have also played with him in the Portugal squad for a long time. We know how much media attention it generates, so it won't distract us from what we're doing.

We know that as a team we're doing everything right. This also applies to Cristiano Ronaldo, because he's part of the team. He played in the first match, not in the second and third, but he played in the first.

We know we're doing everything right, and we know we're in the process we should be in, moving in the direction we want to go. We're closer to our goal, and that's what matters most. As a collective, we need to understand how to block out any potential noise and truly focus on what's most important, on what we do best—play on the pitch.

Because these things off the pitch aren't for us. What we need to control is our emotions and keep our emotions stable when we take the field.

Переведено ИИ.

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