Why I didn’t make Bruno Fernandes captain — Solskjaer

Former Manchester United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opens up on the real reason he snubbed Bruno Fernandes for the captaincy role of the Red Devils while managing the Premier League side.

It should be recalled that the Norwegian manager faced lots of criticisms for choosing to hand over the captaincy duty to then new signing, Harry Maguire just months after his signing by Manchester United.

And of course, further questions were raised after Bruno Fernandes came into the team and started displaying a lot of remarkable leadership qualities on the pitch.

However, the ex-Manchester United hero, has revealed he wasn’t blind to logic or reasoning for choosing Harry Maguire as his captain over any other choice then at the club.

According to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Fernandes’ best qualities of being ‘passionate’ was the very aspect that ruled the Portugal international off from holding the armband under his time managing Manchester United.

Speaking on the Stick To Football podcast, Solskjaer revealed that while he recognized Fernandes’ leadership qualities during his tenure at Manchester United, he believed the midfielder’s intense passion sometimes led to a loss of control.

“I knew Bruno Fernandes had captain qualities when I was manager at Manchester United. He’s got the personality and quality, but he knows and I’ve told him that he’s too passionate at times and he loses a bit of control.” Ole clarified.

Solskjaer expressed admiration for Maguire’s leadership skills, describing him as the pivotal figure within the team during his time as manager.

“I loved Harry Maguire as a captain, he was the leader in that group for me when I was at the club.” he added.

The decision to hand the captain’s armband to Maguire came after current manager Erik ten Hag took it off the defender and awarded it to Fernandes in the summer of 2023.

Despite Fernandes’ appointment as skipper under ten Hag’s leadership, the 29-year-old has faced criticism from both fans and pundits for his animated behavior on the pitch.