Bruno Fernandes blazed a penalty over the crossbar during the first half of Manchester United's deflating 0-0 draw with Fulham on Sunday and later claimed that referee Chris Kavanagh had put him off
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 24: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United looks back at Referee Chris Kavanagh after missing his penalty during the Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester United at Craven Cottage on August 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Bruno Fernandes was 'upset' with referee Chris Kavanagh(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Bruno Fernandes has been branded 'embarrassing beyond belief' for 'crying' about the referee bumping into him before his missed penalty against Fulham. Fernandes, 30, had a golden opportunity to put Manchester United ahead at Craven Cottage on Sunday after the Red Devils were awarded a penalty for a foul on Mason Mount.
The Portuguese midfielder placed the ball down from 12 yards and as he began walking backwards to his mark, referee Chris Kavanagh got in Fernandes' way and the pair collided. United's captain was visibly frustrated with Kavanagh and went on to sky his penalty over the crossbar, just the seventh time that he's missed a spot-kick in his career.
When the teams came back out for the second half, Fernandes was seen in conversation with the referee and appeared to still be complaining. After United could only manage a 1-1 draw, the 30-year-old stressed that the bump wasn't an 'excuse' for his miss but he was upset that Kavanagh hadn't apologised for getting in his way.
That didn't wash with Craig Burley, though. The ex-Chelsea star, known for his straight-talking style of punditry, fired at Fernandes with both barrels.
"I want to talk about the captain," Burley began on ESPN. "What a whingy, whiny, little moaning pain in the butt. What an embarrassment, what an embarrassment to a professional footballer.
"The referee inadvertently nudged him as he was backing off the penalty and he made out the referee has basically run into him. What a big kid.
"Any player worth his salt would have laughed that off and taken the penalty and yet he whined and moaned and cried, as he does, about something so innocuous. It was embarrassing.
"A lot of his career at United has been good but there's been a sideshow as well and that encapsulated it for me. I thought it was embarrassing beyond belief.
Do you agree with Craig Burley? Have your say in the comments section.
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 24: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United with Referee Chris Kavanagh before taking a penalty during the Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester United at Craven Cottage on August 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Chris Kavanagh bumped into Bruno Fernandes as he prepared to take Manchester United's penalty
"How does that put you off your routine? He made such a song and dance about it that it became the story. I thought it was beyond embarrassing, it was childish, school playground stuff. It beggars belief, it really does."
Fernandes gave his side of the story post-match, explaining: "I was upset. As a penalty taker, you have your own routines, your own things that you do.
"It upset me because the referee didn't apologise. That is what triggered me in that moment, but that's not the excuse for missing the penalty. I had a very bad hit on the ball. I put my foot too [far] under the ball and that's why it ended up going over the bar."
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