Fernando Luiz Roza (born 4 May 1985), known asFernandinho, is a Brazilian former professionalfootballer who played as adefensive midfielder. He is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation and one of the best Brazilians to play in thePremier League.[4][5][6]
Fernandinho began his career atAtlético Paranaense alongside his future Shakhtar teammateJádson and close friend Carlos. In Paranaense he was runners-up of both the Brazilian first division (in 2004) and the Libertadores da America, in 2005. He made 72 appearances for the club, scoring 14 goals, before moving toUkrainian sideShakhtar Donetsk for a fee of around £7 million.[citation needed]
In his first season as a Shakhtar player he played 34 matches, including 23 league appearances, and scored three goals, with one coming in the league. Shakhtar were victorious in theSuper Cup, however Fernandinho did not play in the match. He played in the championship deciding match between Shakhtar andDynamo Kyiv, who were level on 75 points after all 30 games had been played, in which Shakhtar prevailed 2–1 to take thetitle.[9] This marked Fernandinho's first league title with Shakhtar. He made 25 league appearances in the2006–07 season as Shakhtar finished 2nd to Dynamo Kyiv. They also finished as runners-up in theUkrainian Cup andUkrainian Super Cup.[citation needed]
In the2007–08 season Shakhtar regained the championship with Fernandinho playing a pivotal role by scoring 11 goals, including one from the penalty spot, in 29 league appearances. He failed to appear in just one league match during the season.[10] Shakhtar were also victorious in theUkrainian Cup, giving Fernandinho his first cup success. However they were defeated in the Super Cup by Dynamo Kyiv for the second year in a row. After the match finished 2–2, it went to penalties and, although Fernandinho converted a penalty, Shakhtar lost 4–2.[citation needed]
On 15 July 2008, Fernandinho played in theSuper Cup victory against Dynamo Kyiv. The match went topenalties after the two teams drew 1–1 at the end of extra time. Fernandinho scored one of the penalties to help Shakhtar to a 5–3 win in the shoot-out.[11] He scored theequalising goal in a 1–1 draw withKarpaty Lviv on 27 July.[12] On 3 August he picked up a 63rd minutered card in a 3–0 victory overIllichivets Mariupol.[13] On 31 August he scored a penalty in a 2–2 draw againstMetalurh Zaporizhya.[14] On 16 September he scored the opening goal in a 2–1Champions League victory againstSwiss clubBasel.[15] On 8 November, he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 victory againstTavriya Simferopol.[16] On 9 December he scored a goal in Shakhtar's 3–2 away win against Spanish sideBarcelona in theChampions League group stage match.[17]
On 26 February 2009, Fernandinho scored the equalising goal in Shakhtar's 1–1 away leg draw against English teamTottenham Hotspur in theUEFA Cup. Shakhtar won the tie 3–1 on aggregate.[18] On 7 March, he scored the only goal, a penalty, in a 1–0 victory againstDnipro Dnipropetrovsk.[19] On 15 March, he opened the scoring from the penalty spot in a 3–0 victory againstMetalist Kharkiv.[20] On 19 March he scored a penalty in Shakhtar's 2–0 victory over Russian teamCSKA Moscow in the UEFA Cup. Shakhtar won the tie 2–1 on aggregate.[21] On 16 April he netted a goal in a 2–1 UEFA Cup win againstMarseille. Shakhtar emerged victorious from the tie with a 4–1 aggregate win.[22] He also scored a pivotal equalising goal in the first leg of theUEFA Cup semi final match against Dynamo Kyiv which finished 1–1.[23] Shakhtar advanced to the final by virtue of a 3–2 aggregate victory after securing a 2–1 win at theDonbas Arena in the second leg.[citation needed]
Shakhtar won theUEFA Cup with a 2–1 victory over German sideWerder Bremen in the last UEFA Cup before it was renamed theUEFA Europa League.[24] He made 42 total appearances, including 21 in the league, and scored 11 goals, including five in the league, in the2008–09 season.[citation needed]
2009–13: Domestic dominance and individual success
The 2009–10 season saw Shakhtar lift thePremier League trophy.[25] Fernandinho's first goal came on 29 July, in a 2–2Champions League draw againstPolitehnica Timișoara in the third qualifying round, however Shakhtar were knocked out of thecompetition, losing on away goals after a 0–0 draw athome.[26] On 20 September, he scored a penalty in a 4–2 victory overArsenal Kyiv.[27] He scored two goals in a 5–1 victory overKarpaty Lviv on 18 October, including one from thepenalty spot.[28] On 22 October the first goal, a penalty, in a 4–0 victory against French sideToulouse in theEuropa League.[29] He scored a 93rd-minute goal in a 2–0Ukrainian Cup victory against Dynamo Kyiv on 28 October.[30] On 6 December he scored a penalty to open the scoring in a 2–0 win overKryvbas.[31] On 24 March, he scored a 92nd-minute goal againstMetalurh Donetsk in the Ukrainian Cup, however it proved to be only a consolation goal as Shakhtar lost the match 2–1.[32] Fernandinho made 24 league appearances, netting 4 times. He made a total of 39 appearances with 8 goals.[citation needed]
In the followingseason Fernandinho played in the 7–1 Super Cup win over Tavriya Simferopol on 4 July.[33] On 18 July, he netted an equalising goal in a 1–1 draw with Metalurh Zaporizhya.[34] On 7 August he scored the opening goal in a 5–0 win overSevastopol.[35] He also played a part in the 1–0UEFA Super Cup defeat toBarcelona on 28 August.[36] He suffered a broken leg in a 1–0 defeat toObolon Kyiv on 10 September,[37] which was expected to rule him out for the entire season. He eventually returned on 1 April 2011 after almost seven months out of action in a 3–1 victory over Illichivets Mariupol.[38] He scored a late 94th-minute match-winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Tavriya, his first goal since returning from injury.[39] On 25 May, he played the full 90 minutes in Shakhtar's 2–0Ukrainian Cup Final victory over Dynamo Kyiv.[40] At the end of the season Shakhtar won the championship, with Fernandinho contributing three goals from his 15 league appearances. They managed to win three prizes (Premier League,Cup andSuper Cup).[41]
Fernandinho began the2011–12 season with Shakhtar's only goal in a 3–1 Super Cup defeat to Dynamo Kyiv.[42] On 31 July he scored Shakhtar's only goal in a match against Arsenal Kyiv, however a 95th-minute equaliser prevented them from winning the match and taking all three points.[43] He netted a goal in a 3–1 victory against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on 13 August.[44] On 27 November he scored the second goal, from a penalty, in a 5–0 victory over Karpaty Lviv.[45] On 27 April, he scored a penalty in a 4–3 Ukrainian Cup match againstVolyn Lutsk.[46] He netted the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against Metalist Kharkiv on 2 May.[47] He scored six goals in 32 appearances, with 24 appearances and four goals in the league, over the season. He played in theUkrainian Cup Final victory overMetalurh Donetsk.[48] At the end of the season, with his contract due to expire, he signed a new five-year contract with the club until 2016.[49] Shakhtar retained theleague title for the third year in a row, Fernandinho's fifth overall with the club, and also secured anotherCup trophy, their second in a row.[50]
Fernandinho started the2012–13 season by assistingDouglas Costa for the second goal in a 2–0 Super Cup victory over Metalurh Donetsk.[51] This marked his third success in the Super Cup with Shakhtar. He assistedYevhen Seleznyov's goal in the 3–1 victory overHoverla Uzhhorod.[52] He netted a late goal to earn Shakhtar three points in a 1–0 win over Kryvbas.[53] He assistedHenrikh Mkhitaryan for the first goal in a 4–1 victory overVorskla Poltava.[54] On 23 September, he scored a goal in a 4–1Ukrainian Cup last 32 victory against Dynamo Kyiv[55] and was named man of the match.[56] He assisted Henrikh Mkhitaryan for the second goal in a 2–0 victory against Metalist Kharkiv on 7 October.[57] Fernandinho scored the second goal in a 2–1 victory against English sideChelsea in theChampions Leaguegroup stage on 23 October, shooting low with his right foot into the bottom corner.[58]
On 6 June 2013, Fernandinho becameManchester City's first signing of the summer, for a fee of£34 million.[59] He signed a four-year deal and is understood to have waived around £4 million owed to him by Shakhtar in order to complete the transfer, as he was desperate to secure a move away from the Ukrainian club.[60][61] During his time at Shakhtar, the Brazilian wore the number 7 shirt, but due to midfielderJames Milner already occupying the number at City, Fernandinho had to choose another. In an interview with Manchester City, Fernandinho recalled a conversation with his son in which his son said, "My dad is the new number 25," and so Fernandinho subsequently chose 25 as his new number.[62]
Fernandinho made hisPremier League debut on 19 August 2013 againstNewcastle United in a 4–0 home win.[63] He scored his first two goals for Manchester City on 14 December 2013 againstArsenal in a 6–3 home win and was also named man of the match after a classical display.[64]On 1 January 2014, he scored his third goal of the season in a 2–3 away win againstSwansea City.[65] On 2 February, Fernandinho sustained a thigh injury in training, which kept him out of action for two weeks.[66]
On 2 March, Fernandinho appeared for City in theLeague Cup final againstSunderland, where he won his first trophy in England with a 3–1 win. On 11 May, Fernandinho was part of the squad who secured the Premier League title in a 2–0 win againstWest Ham United. He did not start the game, but appeared as a substitute for strikerEdin Džeko in the 69th minute.[67]
On 5 November 2014, in a2014–15 Champions Leaguegroup match againstCSKA Moscow, Fernandinho replacedJesús Navas at half-time with Manchester City 1–2 down at home. He was then sent off in the 70th minute for a second booking, with teammateYaya Touré following later, as the team lost and fell to last place in the group.[68]
On 16 August 2015, Fernandinho scored the final goal in City's 3–0 win over Chelsea.[69] He added to his tally two weeks later, with his club's second goal in a City defeat ofWatford in thePremier League.[70] Fernandinho started as City beatLiverpool in the2016 Football League Cup Final. He scored to put City 1–0 up and then missed his penalty in the subsequent shootout after Liverpool equalised, but City still won the game.[71]
Fernandinho's role in the club became so significant that the manager,Pep Guardiola, said: “If a team has three Fernandinhos, they would be champions. We have one, but he is fast, he is intelligent, he is strong in the air, he can play several positions. When he sees the space he will run there immediately. When you need to make a correction, you just need one player to challenge, and he is there.”[72][73]
2017–22: Sustained domestic success, captaincy, and departure
Fernandinho continued to play a vital role for Manchester City in the 2017–18 season, helping them win their third Premier League title, and his second. He scored three goals and provided three assists in 30 appearances for the title winners.[74] Fernandinho also appeared in the2018 League Cup final for City when they defeated Arsenal 3–0, however he was substituted after 52 minutes because of an injury.[citation needed]
Following the departure ofYaya Touré, Fernandinho began the season as Manchester City's only natural defensive midfielder. The Brazilian played a vital role in the club's demanding title race againstLiverpool, starting every Premier League match until a thigh injury prevented him from playing againstCrystal Palace andLeicester City in December - two games that the team subsequently lost. However, Fernandinho was able to return to fitness in time for a season-defining home match against titlerivals Liverpool. He was named the Man of the Match following a highly praised performance in midfield that helped City beat their rivals 2–1. Of the performance, theBBC Sport'sPhil McNulty wrote, "At the heart of it all was the magnificent Fernandinho - a man seemingly irreplaceable among the City's stellar cast - as he delivered a masterclass of controlled midfield play to steady his side when required."[75]
In February's EFL Cup final against Chelsea, Fernandinho picked up a muscle injury during extra time and, for the remainder of the season, struggled to remain fit.İlkay Gündoğan took his place in City's midfield for the majority of the remaining games, which saw the team go on a 14 game winning-streak to win the Premier League title on the final day of the season. Fernandinho ended the Premier League season with one goal and three assists in 29 appearances.[76]
With Fernandinho's age becoming an area of concern for the club, Manchester City signedRodri fromAtlético Madrid over the summer. Because of the new midfield acquisition, Gündogan's excellent performances as a defensive midfielder at the end of the previous season, and central defenderVincent Kompany's departure, Guardiola planned to use Fernandinho as a back-up central defender throughout the season.[77] An injury to first-choice centre-halfAymeric Laporte just 4 weeks into the season, however, meant that the manager had to rely on Fernandinho to lead his defensive line. He subsequently started nearly every Premier League match following Laporte's injury, with all of his appearances for the season being in central defence. On 28 January 2020, it was announced that he had signed a one-year contract extension with the club.[78]
On 20 September 2020, Guardiola confirmed that Fernandinho was selected as the club's new captain, following the departure ofDavid Silva.[79] On 25 April 2021, Fernandinho lifted his first piece of silverware as Manchester City captain. He started the League Cup final, as City won 1–0 againstTottenham Hotspur to win the competition for the fourth year in a row. It was the 6th of Fernandinho’s career, making him the competition’s most decorated player.[80] On 11 May 2021,local rivalsManchester United were defeated 2–1 by Leicester City, securing City’s fifth Premier league title and seventh First Division title overall. This was Fernandinho’s fourth Premier League title and his first as captain.[81] On 29 June 2021, Fernandinho once again signed a new one-year deal with the Citizens.[82]
On 12 February 2022, after an impressive performance against Norwich City,Jamie Redknapp referred to Fernandinho as the “number 1 defensive midfielder the Premier League has ever seen” whilst mentioning that he thought Fernandinho was a better player than the former Arsenal and France midfielderPatrick Vieira, former Manchester United legendRoy Keane and former Chelsea midfielderClaude Makélélé.[83] On 9 March, Fernandinho made his100th Champions League appearance in a 0–0 draw againstSporting CP.[84]
On 12 April, Fernandinho announced that he would be leavingManchester City at the end of the season.[85] Later that month, on 30 April, his stoppage-time goal in the 4–0 away victory overLeeds United earned him the inauguralPremier League Most Powerful Goal award, withOpta calculating the shot's average speed at 117.6 kilometres per hour (73.1 mph).[86]
Fernandinho left Athletico at the expiry of his contract in December 2024. On 20 November 2025, he announced his retirement as a professional player.[88]
On 11 August 2011, Fernandinho made his first appearance for theBrazil national team in a 3–2 friendly defeat againstGermany.[89] He won four furthercaps during the 2011–12 season but did not appear in anotherSeleção squad until February 2014.[90]
On 5 March 2014, Fernandinho scored his first international goal on his return to the Brazil team in a 5–0 win overSouth Africa.[91] In May 2014, he was named in Brazil's squad for the2014 FIFA World Cup.[92] He made his tournament debut as a half-time substitute forPaulinho in the third game of the group stage, scoring the last goal in the 4–1 victory againstCameroon.[93] He was then selected in the starting line-up for Brazil'spenalty shootout defeat ofChile in theround of 16.[94] Fernandinho played a full match againstColombia in the quarter-finals, and played the first 45 minutes before being taken off in Brazil's1–7 loss to Germany in the semi-finals: Brazil's biggest ever defeat at the World Cup.[95]
In May 2018, Fernandinho was named in Tite's final23-man squad for the2018 FIFA World Cup inRussia.[96] On 6 July, Brazil were eliminated from the 2018 World Cup byBelgium in the quarter-finals, losing 2–1, with Fernandinho scoring anown goal for Belgium.[97]
In May 2019, Fernandinho was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the2019 Copa América, held on home soil.[98] He featured in the side's opening two group matches as they went on to win the tournament.[99]
Fernandinho was well known for his pace and ability to shoot from long distances, as well as his energy, technique, movement, and work-rate. He was described in the media as "adefensive midfielder with abox to box style of play, contributing in large part to the defense and the attack. With a powerful shot and great passing range, Fernandinho played an important part in breaking up opposition attacks and creating goal scoring opportunities".[100][101][102]Jonathan Wilson, when writing forThe Guardian in 2013, described Fernandinho as aholding midfielder who can "make tackles," and who is "capable of regaining the ball," while also noting that he frequently functioned "as the more "creative player alongside a destroyer." However, he also clarified that while "Fernandinho was a fine long passer, [...] he is not anAlonso or anAndrea Pirlo type; he is not a regista. Rather he likes to make forward surges, just as Touré does, and, [...] is more than capable of scoring goals when chances present themselves." As such, he labelled Fernandinho as a "carrier" or "surger," namely "a player capable of making late runs or carrying the ball at his feet."[103] Manchester City managerPep Guardiola praised Fernandinho for his intelligence, versatility, ability in the air, and wide range of skills, noting that "Fernandinho can do everything," also citing his important role in the club's successes.[104] Due to a series of injuries to the Manchester City first team's defensive players, Guardiola also deployed Fernandinho as acentre-back on occasion during the 2019–20 season, a position in which he received praise in the media for his performances.[105]
The importance and magnitude of work played by Fernandinho in Manchester City also became apparent in his absence. The three defeats in December 2018 in the Premier League were mostly attributed to the fact Fernandinho didn't play due to injury.[106] Based on the statistics from around that time, it was found that City won 10% more games when Fernandinho was in the starting line-up, and the main reason being his ability to both destroy a rival's attack, and create new opportunities for his team through his long-distance passes.[107][108]
Fernandinho is married and has one son, Davi, born on 5 March 2010,[109] and a daughter, Mariana, born on 28 January 2017.[110] Aside from his nativePortuguese, Fernandinho reportedly speaksRussian,Italian,Spanish andEnglish.[111][112][113] Fernandinho is a devoutChristian; concerning his personal faith, he has stated: "Jesus is my biggest inspiration."[114][115]
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