B Fernandes: I Admire Moutinho, Hoping to Inspire Portuguese Kids by Winning Euro Championship

Recently, Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes granted an exclusive interview to the 2024 Euro Championship organizing committee. B Fernandes discussed his special connection with the number 8 and his desire to win the European title for Portugal.

About his unique bond with the number 8

“Numbers and positions don’t have the same correlation as before. In the past, we were used to seeing numbers from 1 to 11. Since the beginning of my career, I’ve always liked the number 8, especially between the ages of 15 and 17 when I started playing more in midfield.”

“The connection with 8 comes from my father being born on the 8th, so he also wore that number. It’s a combination of factors. I was born on September 8th, so the connection started from the day I was born.”

About wearing the number 8 for the Portuguese national team

“In the national team, I idolize midfielder João Moutinho. When I was young, I admired him for his style of play and intelligence. When I started playing for Portugal, I had the privilege of playing alongside him.”

“I first wore the number because João was suspended for one match. I knew the 8 was his, and if no one asked, he might have quietly passed it on. After that, I waited for João to retire so I could take over the number 8 shirt.”

On his early career

“Back then, we played mostly on artificial turf, and the most important thing I learned was to be fearless. You had to take risks, never be satisfied, and not accept defeat because there was always another team ready to replace the losing side.”

“That’s when I developed a competitive spirit and a hunger to win. Even now, I still perform the moves I did on artificial turf when I was young. I’m still passionate and driven, with a strong addiction to playing football.”

On the desire to win the Euro Championship

“Of course, I’m very eager to win the Euro title, hoping to recreate the team’s success in 2016 in a different way, bringing joy to the Portuguese people and inspiring football-loving kids to strive and represent their country with pride.”