Bruno Fernandes has slammed referee Chris Kavanagh and blamed him for missing the penalty that could have helped Manchester United win against Fulham.
A controversial moment preceded skipper Fernandes’ penalty failure at Craven Cottage, where match official Kavanagh inadvertently made contact with the Portuguese midfielder seconds before the crucial spot-kick.
The unexpected contact visibly unsettled Fernandes, who immediately engaged the referee in discussion about the incident.
Following the disruption to his pre-penalty routine, Fernandes sent his subsequent attempt sailing high above Bernd Leno’s goal.
After the match, Fernandes acknowledged his frustration whilst accepting responsibility for the miss.
“I was upset. As a penalty-taker, you have your own routines, your own things that you do,” the United captain explained.
Bruno Fernandes blames the referee for his missed penalty
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The midfielder revealed that Kavanagh’s failure to offer an apology had particularly bothered him.
“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,” Fernandes stated.
Despite his irritation with the official, the Portuguese international conceded his technique was at fault.
“I had a very bad hit on the ball. I put my foot too under the ball and that’s why it ended up going over the bar,” he admitted.
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The Manchester United midfielder sailed his shot over the bar
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The confrontation between the player and the official extended well beyond the initial contact.
Fernandes collected the ball and persisted with his complaints to Kavanagh, creating an extended delay to proceedings.
The referee found himself intervening as Fulham keeper Bernd Leno approached the penalty spot during the heated exchange.
The unusual sequence of events meant Fernandes eventually took his spot-kick more than half a minute after the initial incident.
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Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville suggested during his coverage that the official might have “unnerved” the United captain ahead of the crucial moment.
The former United defender’s observation highlighted how the disruption potentially affected Fernandes’ mental preparation for the penalty.
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Bruno Fernandes was left furious after the incident
|REUTERS
Social media erupted with United supporters expressing their displeasure at the official’s involvement.
One frustrated fan posted: “I’m not happy about the referee running into Bruno Fernandes there before his penalty.”
Another supporter was more direct in their criticism: “Referee has absolutely f***ed Bruno there. Just cut him up as he’s setting himself. Ridiculous.”
A third questioned whether the incident directly caused the miss: “Was the referee the reason Bruno missed his penalty? Bruno completely lost focus because of him!”
The reaction highlighted widespread belief amongst United’s fanbase that Kavanagh’s accidental interference had disrupted their captain’s concentration at a critical moment in the match.