If there is a player at Manchester City who will need no motivation to face Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP side, it is boyhood Benfica supporter Bernardo Silva.
In January last year, Bernardo discussed a return to Benfica by admitting that his long-term “goal” has always been to re-sign for the Portuguese giants.
During an interview with ESPN UK, Bernardo Silva was quizzed about which one of his beloved clubs’ rivals does he prefer: Manchester United or Sporting.
The 30-year-old replied: “I have to go with United, sorry.”
The Portuguese midfielder joined Benfica’s youth ranks as a child and managed to become a first-team player for them one day before heading to AS Monaco on loan, where he eventually signed permanently before heading to Manchester City in 2017.
The last time City and Sporting played against each other at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in the Champions League, Bernardo scored a brace in his side’s 5-0 demolition job in Lisbon.
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Bernardo Silva does not wish Ruben Amorim “very well” as he becomes Man United boss
The versatile technician will be hoping that he keeps his place in Pep Guardiola’s side on Tuesday night.
A return to his hometown Lisbon and against his boyhood club’s fierce rivals are subplots that make the contest one that seem destined for the six-time Premier League winner to put in one of his vintage European masterclasses.
Ahead of Manchester City’s much-discussed clash against Sporting due to Ruben Amorim set to manage Manchester United, Bernardo Silva admitted that he does not wish him well on the next step of his career.
Bernardo said via HaytersTV: “In terms of him going to Man United, well, I don’t wish him very well as you can imagine because he’s going to be my rival but he deserves for what he got.”
However, the treble-winner also went on to praise as he feels Ruben Amorim deserves landing the Manchester United job after the excellent work he has done at Sporting.
“He deserves to be in one of the best clubs in the world right now because the work that he has done in the last years is unbelievable.”
Amorim admits it’s “tough for Manchester United fans” that Pep Guardiola is “the best coach in the world”
It will be interesting to see if Bernardo and the rest of his City teammates start to already embrace the rivalry with Amorim by putting in an intense and dominant display.
Ruben Amorim hailed Pep Guardiola and admitted that it is tough for Manchester United fans to be aware of how incredible a manager the Manchester City boss is.
“For me, it’s another game as a Sporting coach and I will be judged as a Sporting coach. It’s a massive game. For me, he’s the best coach in the world. I know it’s tough for Manchester United fans and I think it’s the best team in the world.”
“It’s going to be a tough game, we are near the qualification for playoff so this game is very important.”
Bernardo will be hoping to prove Ruben Amorim’s claim true by helping his Manchester City side showcase why they are considered the “best team in the world” by him.
The Sky Blues head into the contest as the outright favourites and another win in Europe will only help them in their pursuit of automatically qualifying for the Round of 16.
