Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has issued a heartfelt apology to the club’s fans after his red card during their humiliating 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. The Portuguese midfielder, who was sent off just before halftime for a reckless challenge on James Maddison, took full responsibility for the incident that left his team down to ten men and contributed to their defeat.
The Premier League has released a statement explaining Chris Kavanagh’s decision to show Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes a red card
The Manchester United captain was sent off for a tackle which scraped the shin of the Spurs midfielder just before half-time
The incident, which happened while the away side were leading 1-0, all but settled the result on Sunday afternoon
In a post-match interview, Fernandes expressed deep remorse, stating, “I just wanted to come and talk and be myself because my teammates deserve that for what they have done in the game playing with one man less – particularly as I was the man sent off, the one that let them down.”
He acknowledged that the red card made the situation even worse for his struggling side and praised his teammates for their effort despite the disadvantage: “I think we struggled a bit and then the red card makes it worse. I have to appreciate all the effort my teammates have done to try and return to the game, but it wasn’t possible. The team showed a lot of character, a lot of resilience, a lot of fight. They tried. It wasn’t easy.”
Tottenham Hotspur produced a free-flowing attacking display to condemn ten-man Manchester United to a crushing 3-0 defeat
Ange Postecoglou’s side made it four wins in a row in all competitions and could have had six or seven
The result mounted more pressure on Erik Ten Hag after a poor start to the season
Fernandes, who was visibly upset with the referee’s decision, argued that while it was a foul, it didn’t warrant a red card: “I don’t go in with the studs, it’s a clear foul but never a red card. Maddison said it is a foul but it’s not a red card. If this is a red card, we have to look at other incidents. I think it’s never a red card. It’s a foul if he wants to give a yellow. I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t call the referee to the screen.”
Manager Erik ten Hag echoed his captain’s frustration, emphasizing that the red card changed the game: “The red card changes the game. I don’t think it was a red card.”
The loss adds more pressure on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, who have struggled to find consistency this season. With Fernandes suspended, United faces an uphill battle in their next fixtures.
