Bruno Fernandes slammed as ‘pathetic’ and a ‘cheat’ after clip showing Man United captain feigning injury to try and win a free-kick during Fulham loss goes viral
Bruno Fernandes has been branded a ‘cheater’ and ‘pathetic’ after a video of the Manchester United captain writhing in agony in an attempt to win a free-kick went viral.
The embarrassing example of the Portuguese star’s play came during the closing stages of United’s defeat to Fulham on Saturday.
Not long after Harry Maguire had equalized, Fernandes – whose parried shot led to the defender’s goal – received the ball and drove towards the Fulham defense.
With few options in front of him, Fernandes took a left-footed shot from 30 yards which Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno pushed out.
But Fernandes inexplicably threw himself to the ground in apparent pain, despite what appeared to be minimal contact from Fulham midfielder Sasa Lukic, who had closed him down.
Bruno Fernandes has come under heavy fire after a video of the Manchester United captain feigning an injury and writhing on the ground during their defeat to Fulham went viral
With the score at 1-1, United pushed for a winner against Fulham in injury time
After seeing a long-range shot saved, Fernandes (bottom right) went down despite there appearing to be minimal contact by Fulham’s Sasa Lukic
Referee Michael Oliver ignored Fernandes and his plea for a foul as United continued to play
Finally, Fernandes gets back up – with no signs of injury – and demands the ball
Fernandes, holding his ankle, unsuccessfully appealed for a free kick from referee Michael Oliver, who orders him to stand up as he jogs past.
But the United captain continues to roll on the grass despite his teammates playing in front of him.
When Fernandes finally realizes there won’t be a free kick, he gets back up – seemingly without any discomfort – and starts asking for the ball.
The attack eventually fizzled out and United would concede to Alex Iwobi in the seventh minute of stoppage time as Fulham claimed an unexpected victory.
Fernandes railed against Oliver after the whistle and was joined by manager Erik ten Hag who questioned some of the referee’s decisions in what was United’s 10th league defeat of the season.
A video of Fernandes feigning an injury quickly went viral on social media, sparking a backlash from United fans and rival fans alike.
“Usually a big Bruno fan but this is pathetic,” wrote one United supporter.
‘As a United supporter, I can almost understand why so many people say Bruno is not fit to be captain. I just think he’s very passionate,” another tweeted.
Fernandes gets into an argument with referee Michael Oliver during Saturday’s match, which United lost 2-1
Man United captain Bruno Fernandes protested at full-time following his side’s defeat to Fulham
The United playmaker made his feelings clear as he protested to the referees
The Portuguese star was left distraught as United suffered their first defeat in 2024
Another United fan said: ‘Moments like these are why Bruno Fernandes is disrespected by rivals’ fans and referees hardly take him seriously. Forgetting his abilities. To many people, Bruno would be seen as a sore loser.’
The fan further claimed that Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard and Barcelona star Pedri would not behave in the same way.
“Maguire is a better captain than this man,” one Arsenal fan wrote on X, while a Liverpool supporter said: “Words can’t describe how much I hate this man.”
Fernandes, 29, has rightly received a lot of praise for his passing vision and contribution to United’s attack, with seven goals and seven assists so far this season.
But his sulkiness, sulking when things go bad and cases like this hardly make him popular.
Fans on social media made their feelings known about Fernandes and his acting
A challenging Ten Hag emphasized that the future is still bright for United despite a damaging defeat to Fulham at Old Trafford.
It has thrown United’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League into doubt, which could impact on Ten Hag’s retention in the summer.
But the United boss said: ‘I said from the beginning of January that we are in the final. We won a lot and now we’ve lost one.
‘After one defeat you have to see the bigger picture, and it looks very good.
‘We have to catch up in certain positions and get the injuries back, then we will be more balanced and we will also strengthen the team in the transfer period.
‘You see that there are many good players emerging and real players with a lot of potential. They will get better, so we are definitely going in the right direction. If we have the players available, we have a very good team.’