Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes used his side’s 3-2 comeback victory over AS Roma in the Champions League to push back against media speculation about his relationship with the manager, saying he was dropped for performance reasons, not as punishment for anything he said. The 32-year-old Portuguese international, who has four Champions League appearances and two goals this season, spoke to Prime Video after the match, Maxifoot reported.

Fernandes said the weeks around his benching had been difficult, with “a lot of speculation in the media” and “a lot of lies” about events at the club, particularly regarding his relationship with the coach. He said the manager decided to leave him on the bench because he was not performing, and that everyone assumed it was a sanction for remarks he had made. If that had been the case, he said, it would have been justified. The coach makes the decisions, he added, and he must accept them and move forward — a stance that changes nothing about the confidence he has in the manager, the coaching staff and all the club’s players.

Fernandes Says Carrick’s Decision Was Performance-Based

The statement doubles as public backing for Michael Carrick, whom Maxifoot described as weakened by disappointing results. Fernandes made clear that his trust in the coaching staff and teammates remains intact despite the speculation that followed his omission from the starting lineup.

What the 3-2 Win Over Roma Changed

The comeback win against Roma gave Fernandes a platform to address the rumors directly after the final whistle. Rather than letting the speculation stand, he told Prime Video that the benching was a football decision made by the manager, not a disciplinary one, and framed accepting those decisions as part of his role as captain.

For a player who has two goals in four Champions League matches this season, the message was aimed as much at the club’s dressing room as at the outside noise: the coach decides, the players accept, and the group moves forward together.