Bernardo is back in the city he knows better than anywhere else in the world, having grown up in the Portuguese capital before spending much of his youth with Benfica, Sporting’s arch-rivals.
It’s a clash that carries extra intrigue with Sporting boss Ruben Amorim to take over as Manchester United manager next week and Hugo Viana, the club’s current Director of Football, replacing Txiki Begiristain as City Director of Football next summer.
However, addressing the media at Monday’s pre-match press conference, Bernardo revealed another key reason why the game will hold even more meaning for him personally – the fact that his mum, Maria, is a Sporting fan!
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“I played 12 years at Benfica in the Academy there and I am a fan of that side of Lisbon,” Bernardo pointed out.
“But it’s going to be definitely special for me as my mum for example is a Sporting fan! [So are] some of my best friends.
“So it will be an interesting one for me tomorrow. Hopefully I can be on the winning side!”
Play the video to watch Bernardo’s press conference in full…
