Bruno Fernandes has not forgotten the manager who put him on a plane to Manchester. He also wants that same manager to leave Porto disappointed.
Speaking to Beanyman Sports in pre-match comments, the national team captain was asked about Ole Gunnar Solskjær, the former Manchester United boss who brought him from Sporting CP in January 2020 and still keeps in touch.
“Ole was a very important manager for me. He was the one who gave me a chance to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. I was very happy with the time I spent with him.”
Fernandes said the two still exchange messages, though not about this specific fixture.
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“We speak once in a while about football but we haven’t had the chance to speak about this game.”
“I hope I can send him a message at the end of the game that is good for me and not for him.”
Solskjær’s role now
The Norwegian is no longer in a dugout. Since leaving Beşiktaş, Solskjær has returned to his previous post as a UEFA technical observer, writing tactical reports on European fixtures for the governing body.
The Norway bench itself is run by Ståle Solbakken, who has been in charge of the national team for more than five years.
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Portugal one win from the quarter-finals
Portugal arrive at the Estádio do Dragão having won all three of their opening Nations League Group A4 matches, including a 2-1 victory over Norway in Oslo last Sunday. Jorge Jesus, in charge of the national team since July, has yet to drop a point in his first competitive campaign.
A home win on Sunday would guarantee a place in next year’s quarter-finals. Norway, with Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, sit in the relegation play-off places after back-to-back defeats and need a result to keep their League A survival hopes alive.
Kick-off at the Dragão is at 8:45pm local time.
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