Brazilian star Fernandinho insists new Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is setting the perfect example to his players to reclaim the Premier League title – and meal times are a key part of this.
The 28-year-old moved from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk for a £30million fee and was City’s second signing this summer after Spanish winger Jesus Navas.
And despite being in charge at the Etihad Stadium for only a month, Fernandinho believes Pellegrini’s influence has already rubbed off on him.
“It seems like he has that real winning mentality and a strong football philosophy that he will make the players understand,” he told the Daily Mail.
“Although Manuel is new the players are already getting used to his style on and off the pitch.
“We can learn his personality. At mealtime, for example, he wants everyone together at the same time. This is the way he wants things to be done.”
The Brazilian made his debut in the Blues’ pre-season loss to SuperSport United in South Africa.
Despite the defeat, Fernandinho believes it was an honour to put on City’s famous blue shirt but his real challenge is to adapt to a new country and Premier League football.
“Being able to play in such a big team is very exciting,” he explained. “It is a special moment to play for your new club for the first time especially for a club like City.
“It felt like a great honour to play with such big names and fantastic players so I’ve been looking forward to my debut for the last month.
“I already feel very happy here but the biggest challenge for me now is the language. Although I understand English I need to learn how to speak it better.
“This is the thing I need to get used to rather than the football. I speak Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Russian so hopefully it won’t be too long.”
Image courtesy of UEFA, via YouTube, with thanks.
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