Bernardo Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva
Written by Nuno Travassos, Catarina Pereira and Luís Mateus for A Bola:
A big player for big matches, Bernardo Silva has been praised by Pep Guardiola in recent seasons as one of his most important players, and a humble one at that. “I like coaches who demand a lot from me,” Silva said in an interview. Excelled in the Champions League this season until elimination by Real Madrid, when he missed a bizarre penalty in the shootout. A rare bad decision, which clashed with all the brilliant ones that have won him plaudits and multiple trophies at City while performing many different roles: right winger, No 8, No 6 and even left-back, although he is quick to point out “it was a high left-back in the field”. Everyone knows the story about Silva leaving Benfica for Monaco after his first senior coach, Jorge Jesus, started thinking about converting him into a left-back. For Portugal, Silva is mostly a right winger with permission to roam, especially in rotation with Bruno Fernandes, who likes to arrive late in the box. Silva views winning Euro 2024 as the final step to fulfil his destiny as one of Portugal’s greats. “I miss the trophies to reach the expectations people have about me,” he says.
