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On July 1, 2014, "Manchester City" acquired defensive midfielder Fernandinho from Brazil for 30 million pounds. The Brazilian easily established himself in the main team lineup, becoming one of the key players of the team and one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. Unfortunately, he is not always noticed. Best qualities DEFENSE Interceptions Without a doubt, there is no better defensive midfielder in Europe currently performing interceptions better than Fernandinho. The most important aspect here is not just the numbers (he averages about 2.5 interceptions per game), but HOW interceptions are performed. Fernandinho reads the game two steps ahead, and his ability to anticipate how opponents' attacks will unfold allows him to intercept at the right time and place. This aspect of his game is one of Fernandinho's trademarks. It is worth mentioning that Fernandinho often plays in the midfield two with Yaya Toure, who rarely returns to defend, leaving Fernandinho against 2-3 opponents. This further elevates Fernandinho's value when performing interceptions. Man Marking You almost never see Fernandinho losing his opponent in standard situations and directly letting a goal in due to his fault. Excellent spatial awareness allows him to feel confident when marking his opponent. Sliding Tackles What kind of defensive midfielder would he be if he didn't perform sliding tackles? Fernandinho is excellent at this, waiting for the right moment to perform the defensive action. In three seasons with the City team, Fernandinho averages about 3.5 sliding tackles per game. Work Rate It is safe to say that Fernandinho is the hardestworking City player on the field. Running tirelessly and covering a lot of ground, the Brazilian often goes unnoticed in this context. PHYSICALITY Endurance Fernandinho's endurance could even make the athletics God Mo Farah envious. With incredible lung capacity, the Brazilian covers the most kilometers for City and is one of the most running players in Europe. Strength Being quite lean, Fernandinho is not easily pushed off the ball. He never shies away from direct contact with the opponent and always bravely fights for the ball. ATTACK Passing As a defensive midfielder, Fernandinho has an incredible passing arsenal. He can perform all types of passes: with the inside of the foot, the outside of the foot, curved passes over opponents' heads, long passes across the field, and can also play interchange passes. In three seasons with City, Fernandinho's passing accuracy averages around 89%. This figure is truly impressive, especially considering that most of these passes are forward, trying to find a teammate down the field, not just a few safe meters back. Vision In addition to the types of passes mentioned above, Fernandinho's great vision is a crucial aspect. Many typical defensive midfielders send the ball anywhere without looking, but not Fernandinho. Thanks to his excellent vision, Fernandinho often finds teammates in great spaces and effectively advances the attack. Ball Control/Dribbling Do you know any Brazilians who are poor ball wizards? I don't think so, and Fernandinho is no exception. Not many defensive midfielders control the ball as well as Fernandinho. Being able to escape from difficult situations or run with the ball for dozens of meters is not a problem for Fernandinho. The only defensive midfielder comparable in this category is Sergio Busquets. Speed Another amazing quality of Fernandinho. He may not be as fast as Navas or Sterling, but he is fast enough for a defensive midfielder and often manages to catch up with opponents due to this quality. Shooting We can see many defensive midfielders who never look at the goal, but not Fernandinho. The Brazilian has a great shot with both his right and left foot and can execute it in various ways. Inside of the foot, outside of the foot, full-foot strike, chips. His long-range shot is powerful as well. Goals Do you see many defensive midfielders scoring goals? Fernandinho is one of those rare exceptions. Of course, don't expect 15-20 goals per season, but 6-7 are guaranteed. John Obi Mikel and Sergio Busquets can only envy. Versatility All the qualities mentioned above give Fernandinho the ability to be versatile. Typically a defensive midfielder, the City player can also play excellently as a center-back, full-back due to his speed, and even slightly pushed forward due to his creativity. In conclusion, Fernandinho is one of the most underrated European footballers. His position in midfield is one of the main reasons for this. A fantastic all-around player with no clearly visible flaws. A fantastic MODERN defensive midfielder who is worth every penny.
