Fernandinho has confirmed he will leave Manchester City at the end of this season.
The midfielder, 36, joined City from Shakhtar Donetsk for £30million in 2013 and has since made 373 appearances, scoring 25 goals. The Brazil international has started one Premier League game this year and confirmed he will return to his homeland this summer to prolong his playing career.
Asked if he would be at City next season, Fernandinho said: “I don't think so. I want to play. I will go back to Brazil. I decided with my family, which is the most important thing for me.” Asked if he was surprised he had not played more this season, Fernandinho said: “After nine years and maybe after the 2018-19 season, when I changed my position, maybe that could be one of the reasons.
"It was hard for me to recover it [his position]. With age, it's hard for me but I put myself in a position to try to help the team as I have always done.”
Club captain Fernandinho came on the pitch towards the end of the first leg against Atletico Madrid to shepherd Jack Grealish away from a confrontation with Angel Correa. Correa was booked for kicking the ball at Grealish as the £100m star lay on the ground, and Ferandinho said the players must not react to any provocation tonight.
“I came on the pitch at the end of the game to get Jack out and I think that was really important,” said Fernandinho. “We have emotions, we have feelings and we have to be ready for everything and any circumstances.
“I think the main thing is just that we need to focus on ourselves and the way we have to play, our football, the tactics we will adopt in this game and how we can hurt them and try to create chances to score goals. Obviously it will be a hostile environment but we have to be ready for that. In these situations, anything is possible and it is going to be really important to concentrate for 90 minutes.”
City boss Pep Guardiola was unaware Fernandinho had decided to leave City at the end of the season and said: “I didn’t know it - you gave me the news. We will see what will happen at the end of the season. Maybe it's a family decision, maybe he wants more minutes, but I would love to be with him.”
