Bruno Fernandes was consulted on Manchester United’s tifo banner ahead of the Europa League win over Athletic Club and offered some key input on the design.
Manchester United debuted their first-ever tifo banner ahead of their Europa League quarter-final showdown with Lyon at Old Trafford.
Designed to energise the crowd for the crucial fixture, the banner was unveiled just before kick-off, following input from supporters and final sign-off from captain Bruno Fernandes.
Although there was initial skepticism, the atmosphere soared as the tifo rose across the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, proudly showcasing all of United’s European cup victories beneath the iconic message: “Never Gonna Stop!”
That same determination was evident on the pitch, as United netted three goals in the closing moments of extra-time to pull off a dramatic comeback and book their place in the semi-finals.
United won 7-1 over the two-legged tie with Athletic Club, booking their place in the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, with a 4-1 win coming at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
Once again, another tifo banner was displayed ahead of that game. This time, it was a design which involved the team celebrating their last-minute heroics against Lyon, accompanied by the text, ‘Take Me Home, United Road’.
Fernandes’ input in new United tifo revealed
It was again confirmed by the club ahead of the game that Fernandes had signed off on the design for the tifo banner.
Since then, United fan group Stretford End Flags has provided even more detail on Fernandes’ role in the design of the banner.
There was a popular suggestion online that United should take inspiration from a fan’s concept design, which had Fernandes and Sir Matt Busby front and centre.
However, the fan group which has been involved in the planning of both tifos have revealed that Fernandes wanted the design to be focused on the entire team rather than a couple of individuals.
“Big thanks to everyone who submitted design ideas for the TIFO. With some input from Bruno Fernandes, who wanted it to focus on the whole team rather than individual players or goalscorers, the design was finalised,” Stretford End Flags wrote on X.
It shows the true mentality of Fernandes, who is always trying to build up his teammates, and it is not really a surprise to hear.
Fernandes’ captaincy skills should not be in question
Considering so many have questioned whether Fernandes has the right attributes to be a United captain, he continues to do so many things you’d expect from a top class captain.
His ability on the pitch is unquestionable – with 19 goals and 19 assists so far this season, despite the team’s struggles – and he is always showing class off the field too.
Whether that be his involvement in these tifos, offering mature and honest interviews or offering to pay for staff members to travel to cup finals, Fernandes always seems to do the right thing.
Ironically, despite this being the worst season in the club’s recent history, many have started to respect Fernandes even more than they did beforehand.
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