Biography
Mario Fernandez is the hero of the record transfer in the history of CSKA. To get the defender of the Brazilian Gremio, the Russian club paid € 15 million. The investment paid off in spades: the footballer’s play was so effective that after receiving Russian citizenship he was invited to the national team, where he became one of the heroes of the 2018 World Cup.
Mario is the only “army man” who has been included in the list of 33 best football players at the end of each season throughout his entire career in Russia. Today, Fernandez tells reporters that he is seriously considering the possibility of staying in Russia when he ends his sports career.
National team career
On September 5, 2011, Fernandez was called up to the Brazilian national team to participate in the Rock Cup. On September 14, he was part of the national team for the Rock Cup match with Argentina, but did not take the field, spending the entire game on the bench. Fernandez was not called up for the second match of the Roca Cup. Be Happy club after Gremio matches
. Once, after being delayed there, the football player missed the flight that the Brazilian national team was taking to the match. The club's management immediately came up with a story that the player had personal problems, but Mano Menezes, the head coach of the Brazilians, did not believe the player. After this story, Fernandez was no longer invited to the matches of the national team[22]. The defender himself said about this: “Yes, I was late for the plane, but I didn’t hang out in any club at night. It just so happened that I didn’t have time.”[5].
On October 14, 2014, Fernades made his debut for the Brazilian national team in a friendly match with Japan (4:0), coming on as a substitute after the break[23]. However, Mario continued to think about obtaining Russian citizenship in order to play for the Russian national team[24], since according to FIFA rules, a football player is considered to have played for his team only in an official match. According to CSKA General Director Roman Babaev, Fernandez was ready to refuse a theoretical call to the Brazilian national team for an official match for the sake of the Russian national team, if such an initiative came from the RFU[25], whose president Vitaly Mutko had previously announced that he would be naturalized before Euro 2016 footballer for playing for the national team[26]. Later this player turned out to be Roman Neustaedter.
On July 13, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin granted Mario Fernandez’s application for Russian citizenship[27].
Childhood and youth
Mario was born on September 19, 1990 in the city of Sao Caetano do Sul (state of Sao Paulo). He is the second of four children in the family of a futsal coach; there is also an older sister, Deborah, who works as a nurse, a younger sister, Talita, who is the athlete’s personal manager in Brazil, and a brother, Jonatas.
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Mario Fernandez
The father's profession predetermined the boy's sports biography. At the age of 6, he began playing football under the guidance of his father and quickly achieved success. The footballer notes that his father treated him objectively: he both praised and criticized him only to the point. Soon my brother joined the training.
Fernandez Jr. was on trial at CSKA in 2014, and this is a rare case for a club to listen to players who are patrons of friends or relatives. According to head coach Leonid Slutsky at that time, only Vagner Love received such an honor.
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The army team was not satisfied with Zhonatas’ athletic condition, and the striker returned to his homeland. According to some sports websites, he played for the youth team of Corinthians and the adult team of San Caetano. He ended his career due to injuries and now trains children and promotes his own mini-football project.
Mario first played as an attacking midfielder and, as he admits, was a fan of the footballer Kaka, even trying to imitate his game. But later he was transferred to the center of defense. It was in this position that he began playing in youth teams. His speed and dribbling skills caught the attention of San Cayetano in 2006, which was then in decline after the resounding success of the early 2000s. Successfully playing for the once famous team, Fernandez received an offer from Gremio agents.
Football
In 2009, Fernandez signed a five-year contract with the Gremio club. The player's transfer cost the buyers a million dollars. Fernandez's debut as a Gremio defender took place 3 months later (match against Sport Refisi). And two years later, the footballer played for the team for the first time at the Brazilian Championship: the match with Botafogo ended in a draw.
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Mario Fernandez in the Gremio club
In the first season, Fernandez participated in 19 games of the team. After Mario received a red card at one of the meetings, he was transferred from the center to the defensive flank. Nevertheless, the footballer generated interest from world-famous clubs: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City.
In December 2011, a transfer proposal came from CSKA. Gremio asked for €20 million. Negotiations were postponed, but resumed in the spring of 2012. Mario had been injured by that time and had undergone surgery, so the army team took a risk by buying a player with a vague prospect. Market mechanisms helped.
Mario Fernandez's best moments
Fernandez “owned” 50% of the club and another 50% of the American investment fund, which bought him from San Cayetano. Bankers who wanted to earn extra money simply put pressure on the owners of Gremio, and the contract amount was € 15 million. Even the footballer’s personal agent agreed to a share of 8% instead of the generally accepted 10%. On May 4, 2012, representatives of the Russian capital club announced that a 5-year contract had been signed with Fernandez.
Shortly after moving to Moscow, the Brazilian footballer made his debut in friendly matches with Torpedo Moscow and Khimki, scoring a goal in both games. During the championship, he played for the army for the first time in a meeting with Rostov. In the 2012/2013 season, he appeared on the field in 28 matches. Fernandez managed to complete two assists.
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Mario Fernandez in Russia
The first year on Russian football fields turned out to be extremely traumatic for the legionnaire. Due to his broken nose in the match with Tyumen, Mario was forced to play in a mask for some time. In other matches he suffered an ankle injury and a concussion. And in the final of the championship game with Kuban, Fernandez suffered the most serious injury: doctors diagnosed a tear of the medial ligament and damage to the posterior horn of the meniscus. CSKA won the championship, but Mario was unable to join the celebration due to rehabilitation.
The legionnaire was able to return to play only in the second half of the next season. During the same period, he scored the first goal for CSKA (a meeting with Saratov Sokol in the 1/8 finals of the Russian Cup). In the summer of 2020, the defender’s contract was extended until 2022.
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Mario Fernandez in the CSKA club
Mario Fernandez was not involved in games for the Brazilian national team, despite the fact that he was invited twice. The first call took place even before the move to CSKA. In 2011, the footballer was supposed to take part in the Rock Cup match between Brazil and Argentina, but spent the entire game on the bench. There was no more chance to play for the national team at that time - Fernandez was late for the flight flying to the venue of the next game.
The press wrote that Mario then “hung out” in a nightclub and had too much alcohol. The athlete himself claimed that problems in his personal life were to blame. And only after a while, in a friendly conversation with compatriot Fabio da Silva, he admitted that the journalists, in general, were not mistaken.
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Mario Fernandez in training
In 2014, the defender took part in a friendly match between the national teams of Brazil and Japan. But since such games are not considered official, Fernandez still had the opportunity to gain a foothold in any of the teams, which he took advantage of.
In 2020, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the legionnaire was given Russian citizenship, which allowed him to qualify for a place in the national team. This step was approved by Mario's family, but not everyone in Brazil appreciated it. Pavel Pogrebnyak and Roman Pavlyuchenko are negative about the naturalization of foreign players, and not only Fernandez. The latter believes that only those born and raised in the country should play in the national team.
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Mario Fernandez in the Russian national team
Fernandez's debut in the national team in jersey number 2 took place on October 7, 2020: in the 64th minute of a friendly match with the South Korean team, the defender replaced Alexander Samedov on the field. As Mario dreamed, he was included in the Russian national team for the 2020 World Cup. For the first match, he promised journalists that he would learn the Russian anthem.
Throughout the group stage, there were no complaints about Fernandez's performance. For the first time in many years, Russia reached the 1/8 finals, where it met with the titled Spain. It was a difficult match that will remain in the memory of the fans for a long time. Cherchesov’s defensive tactics did not disappoint. Mario Fernandez “tightly” stood guard over the Russian penalty area.
Igor Akinfeev gives the award for the best player of CSKA to Mario Fernandez
Everything was decided in a penalty shootout, in which Igor Akinfeev became a real hero of the country: the goalkeeper saved two out of five shots. For the first time in history, Russia reached the quarter finals. Russian fans were looking forward to the game with the Croats. The match differed from the previous one in its dynamics, many dangerous moments and beautiful goals. Denis Cheryshev put the Russians ahead with a shot into the top corner, the Croats responded with two goals and only Mario Fernandez's header sent the Russians into the penalty shootout, where Croatia was stronger.
Unfortunately, the defender missed his penalty, sending the ball wide of the goal. According to the football player, he asked for forgiveness from his colleagues in the locker room, but was unable to change the result. Despite the loss and the unfortunate mistake, experts and fans recognized “SuperMario” as the most useful player in the national team who performs a colossal amount of work.
Mario Fernandez: I keep my Russian passport together with my Brazilian one
CSKA defender Mario Fernandez will remember 2016 for a long time: this year he won the title of Russian champion for the third time with his favorite team, received a passport with a double-headed eagle on the cover and the first call-up to the national team of the country, which became his second home.
“IT’S EARLY TO LEARN TO RAKE SNOW AT YOUR HOUSE”
– You’ve been living and playing in Russia for four and a half years now. So where is your home - here or in Brazil?
-In Russia, of course.
- Or more precisely?
-In the cottage village of Dudkino near Moscow.
- Do you have a private house?
- Yes, and I really like it there. The place is calm, quiet, and it’s not difficult to get to the CSKA base in Vatutinki.
– In Brazil, as far as I know, you also lived in a relatively small town, Sao Caetano do Sul, in the suburbs of Sao Paulo. It seems that the lights of big cities don’t really tempt you...
– Indeed, I prefer a quiet life away from the centers.
- Is your house big?
- Yes, two-story. This is a necessity, because relatives from Brazil constantly come to visit me and they need to be accommodated somewhere. Now there is a lot of snow around the house and it is fabulously beautiful there!
-I’m curious, who removes all this snow? Are you, a three-time champion of Russia, a legionnaire from distant South America, taking a shovel in your hands and clearing the paths of snow?
– No, I’ve never tried it (
laughs
)! A friend of mine is doing this, although, to be honest, I also want to get involved in this business. There is something typically Russian about this.
– Is there something Brazilian in your house near Moscow?
– The main thing that connects me with my homeland is a television antenna that picks up several Brazilian channels.
Max helped me install it (Maxim Golovlev, translator and manager of PFC CSKA. – Ed.
).
-And some football things?
- There are also medals and prizes won at CSKA, T-shirts of various players - those that were exchanged after the matches. I have a whole collection of them!
– Whose, for example?
-Guilhermeis from Lokomotiv, Ari from Krasnodar, and many others! I try to change T-shirts after almost every game.
“LOVE WALKING AROUND RED SQUARE”
– What do you do in your free time? On weekends, for example?
-I mostly stay at home. I watch TV, listen to music, communicate with my family. No, of course, from time to time I go out for shopping, for a walk or something else, but it’s not easy to get me out of the house. By the way, the same thing happened in Brazil. That's the kind of person he is.
-Do you drive?
- No, I have a driver.
– Who buys your groceries?
- Elijah himself, or my sister. There is no problem with this, because in supermarkets you don’t really need to talk. Choose a product and pay.
-Do you know your neighbors?
- No, I have no idea who lives nearby. It looks like there are no football players in the neighborhood.
– Do they recognize you on the streets?
– It happens, but I can’t say that it’s very often. As a rule, these are CSKA fans.
– What are your favorite places in Moscow?
-Probably Red Square. Every time relatives or guests from Brazil come to visit me, I take them there. The place is famous, but also very beautiful and historical.
"MY GIRL IS FAR AWAY"
– Which of your relatives lives with you in Russia?
– No one constantly, but my sister, my mother, and one of my friends often come. They stay with me for a month, two, or even more; such company is a joy for me.
- Who cooks for you?
- As a rule, sister.
– Brazilian or Russian cuisine?
– Most often – Brazilian, rice and beans, meat and so on.
– Do you maintain a relationship with your father, who has been living with another family for several years?
- Yes, I call him or write to him on social networks.
- What is he doing now?
– As before, he trains children playing futsal. By the way, he helped me a lot at first, when I was just starting my journey in football. He tinkered with me, taught me how to position my foot correctly when striking.
– Have you already got a girlfriend in Russia?
– No. My beloved lives in Brazil, in the town of Pedreira. It is in the state of Sao Paulo, near Campinas.
“I KEEP THE RUSSIAN PASSPORT TOGETHER WITH THE BRAZILIAN”
– You recently received Russian citizenship. Tell me honestly, whose idea?
– General. They called me to the club and asked how I would react to this turn of events.
We talked with Roman (Babaev, General Director of the PFCCSKA - Ed.
) and soon shook hands. So what? It’s a great honor for me, because I really like it in your country.
-Did you consult with anyone?
– Of course. With mom, dad, sister. Everyone supported me.
-What about the team?
– I haven’t talked to anyone about this topic, but I think everyone here would be all for it. I have good relations with everyone at CSKA.
– Perhaps they called Guilherme, who became a Russian not long before you, about this?
- No, it didn’t even occur to me. I know that he is a good person, but we communicate quite rarely.
– I wonder if you took the Russian language exam?
- No.
-Do you speak Russian?
- Very little. Of course, I dream of speaking Russian fluently, but that’s still a long way off. It's a very difficult language!
– Among foreigners there are those who cannot speak Russian, but swear easily...
– No, I’m definitely not one of them (
laughs
)!
-Okay, but how will you communicate with the Russian national team?
– I was already at the disposal of the team - with Max, of course, where would I be without him?! We talked with the coach and the players. In general, until I learn Russian properly, I will have to communicate through a translator.
– In what circumstances were you given a Russian passport? In an official, solemn way?
– In the usual way. I was invited to some government office, there I signed, received a passport, and went back home.
-Do you keep it at home?
– Yes, together with the Brazilian one.
“I’M NOT AFRAID OF COMPETITION WITH SMOLNIKOV”
– The performance of the Russian national team has been regularly criticized in recent years. Why do you think?
-At the European Championship, she was unable to qualify from the group, which was a disappointment both for the players themselves and for her fans. But now the team has a new head coach, it is slowly being rebuilt. There are good players in the Russian team, the world championship will be held at home, so I am looking to the future with optimism. We have everything to finally make Torside happy.
– What is the first thing the team lacks?
- Hard to say. The main thing now is to accept the requirements and playing philosophy of the new head coach, and try to implement his ideas on the field. I think that the Russian team will gradually improve from game to game.
– Who exactly did you mean when you said that there are great masters in the team?
-Akinfeev, Smolov, Samedov, Shatov, Berezutsky brothers...
–Do you follow the performances of the Russian national team?
- How about it! I watch all the matches on TV.
-Are you aware that your place in the team is not guaranteed, that you will face intense competition, in particular from Smolnikov from Zenit?
– I know that Smolnikov is a very qualified football player and that besides him there are other, no less worthy candidates for the position on the right side, but this does not bother me at all. I am ready to fight for a place in the squad and will do everything possible so that in the end the coaching staff makes a choice in my favor.
“NEIMAROUS WITH ONE FOOT AT THE 2018 World Cup”
– How do you like the current Brazilian national team?
– After the home World Cup, she was also criticized, especially for her defeat in the semi-finals from the Germans - 1:7. In it, just like in the Russian one, the coach was changed - and the team’s play was transformed.
In any case, in the last two matches (with Argentina – 3:0 and Peru – 2:0. – Ed.
) she looked very convincing. We can say that Brazil is already one foot away from the 2018 World Cup.
– Who pulls the Brazilians forward?
– Neymar, Coutinho, Daniel Alves... There are many stars in the current team!
-Have you met head coach Tite?
– No. But I know, of course, that he is a great specialist. Before this, Tite worked successfully at the club level, for example, at Corinthians.
– Who is your idol in football?
–I won’t be original – Pele. Like others, I admired the play of Zico, Romario, Ronaldo, but I think that Pele remains unsurpassed.
– Would you like to meet Brazil at the upcoming world championship as part of the Russian national team?
– It would be interesting... But if the choice were mine, I would prefer to part ways with the Brazilians. Firstly, because this is a traditionally strong team, and secondly, because this is the country where I was born.
– Maybe you’re just afraid of the Brazilians?
- No, I’m not afraid of anyone on the football field!
– What about the words of the Russian anthem? You probably don’t know them...
– This is really a problem!
I’ll have to learn! But, to tell the truth, I don’t even fully know the Brazilian anthem ( laughs
).
“I’M NOT GOING TO CHINA”
– CSKA is only the second club in your career, after Gremio. Do you regret that you are not in Sao Paulo, Flamengo or, say, Milan?
– Not at all! I’ve been at CSKA for four and a half years now, I was received very warmly by both the players and the club’s management, so I feel comfortable here. I feel at home here, like in a family, and I am grateful to everyone who helped me get comfortable with the team, and in Russia in general.
– Do you have friends in CSKA?
- I have all my friends on the team!
-But you probably have a closer relationship with some of the players?
– I don’t even know who to single out. We constantly tease each other with Dzagoev, with Golovin, with the Berezutskys - funny guys!
– Lately CSKA has clearly not been showing champion results, something has gone wrong in its play. From what?
– In fact, in several matches in a row in October and November we failed to win, but this happens in football. We really miss Dzagoev and Eremenko, on whom a lot depends in our game. But I am sure that this period will pass and we will start winning again.
– Do you believe that CSKA will return to the championship race?
-And we never left it! In the last four years, our team has become the champion of Russia three times, and this season we will still compete for gold - the gap from the leaders is not that big.
– Who do you consider your main competitors?
-Zenit and Spartak. But we cannot discount other clubs, for example, Krasnodar and Terek.
–Can you imagine yourself in a T-shirt of some other club? Brazilian or something else?
– Frankly speaking, no. My heart and soul are in CSKA. As I already said, everything here is family to me - the team, the fans, and the stadium.
– If we talk about Europe, which country’s football is closest to you?
-Probably Spanish. It is fast, technical, and it would be easier for me to adapt to it, because the Portuguese language is somewhat similar to Spanish.
– Did you have any offers from other clubs?
- Yes, when I was still playing for Gremio. But in the end, as you can see, I am in CSKA and I don’t regret it.
– In recent years, China has become the most powerful player in the football market. Clubs in this country, like a net, catch talent all over the world. It was there that your compatriot Vagner Love left CSKA, and recently another famous Brazilian, Hulk, went along the same route from Zenit. If you receive an offer from the Middle Kingdom that you cannot refuse, will you leave?
– I didn’t think about it. If such a proposal suits me and the management of CSKA, maybe. But this is only theoretically. I repeat, everything suits me in Moscow. That’s why I agreed to accept Russian citizenship.
– Is ArenaCSKA similar to any Brazilian stadium?
– It’s difficult to answer which one, but it’s clear that this is a modern, comfortable stadium for football players and sportsmen. Previously, we played in Khimki, and now we welcome guests at home - believe me, these are different things.
"SLUTSKY IS A SUCCESSFUL COACH"
– Was it easy to work with Leonid Slutsky?
– Quite. He is a great coach and a good, kind person. This is not only my opinion, but also that of other players.
– What’s special about his training?
- Don't even know. In my opinion, the main thing is that he treats every player on the team as a human being and knows how to find the right words for everyone.
-Aren’t his theoretical studies too long?
– I, like many other football players, don’t like theory, but what can you do if it’s part of our job?!
– In your opinion, is Slutsky capable of working in a top foreign club?
– Undoubtedly. He has a wealth of experience, he headed the Russian national team, and in general Slutsky is a successful coach. Look how many titles he won with CSKA!
– Why then didn’t it work out for him at Euro 2016?
-And I don’t see his fault that the Russian team didn’t make it out of the group. First there was a draw with England, then a defeat in an even game against Slovakia... With Wales, yes, the team failed. But I repeat, I would not let all the dogs go to the trainer. It didn’t work out, it happens. We must continue to move forward with our heads held high.
“GOING TO STEAM IN THE BATH? ALWAYS!"
– Mario, since you are now half-Russian, at the end of our conversation I would like to ask you a few questions to understand how prepared you are for our reality. So, how do you feel about the Russian bath?
– I like to steam, although I know this is not entirely typical for Brazilians. In any case, I have nothing against it when someone “throws” water on hot stones (
laughs
).
- What can you say about vodka?
– No, I don’t drink alcohol, I’m indifferent.
– Russians are very inquisitive and love to travel. How are you doing with this?
- No, this is not about me - I’m more of a homebody.
-Have you ever gone mushroom picking?
- And what is it?
- Well, people go to the forest, pick mushrooms there, and then cook them...
– I haven’t even heard about it.
-Do you know how to fish?
- It's true. One day, Vitinya and I went fishing in the river not far from our base in Vatutinki. We fished with a fishing rod and even caught something, only the fish we came across was very small. But that’s not the main thing! The feeling of excitement is what is most important.
-It is believed that Russians like to drive fast. And you?
- No, I don’t like driving at all.
– In winter, as you probably already know, many in Russia are not averse to skiing or skating. Do you want to learn winter fun?
- Well, we can try. It’s better, of course, on skis - if you fall, it won’t hurt so much!
-Do you like to read?
– Not really. I limit myself to watching sports news on the Internet.
– Do you have a habit of singing?
- No, Slutsky is famous for this!
– ???
- From time to time he hums some melodies. When he’s in a good mood... And the whole team likes to shout victory songs when we win another title.
– I assume you, like any other Brazilian, have nothing against kebab?
-Who doesn’t like fried meat?! In Russia they also know how to cook it, but it seems to me that in Brazil the kebab still tastes better...
Personal life
In 2009, few imagined that Fernandez would move to another continent. After signing a contract with Gremio and moving to another city, he disappeared. Found on the 4th day in Sao Paulo, at my uncle's house. As Mario explained, it was the first time he found himself far from his parents and experienced severe homesickness. Subsequently, the young player was examined by psychologists for a month, and his relatives moved to Porto Alegre to be close. The father left the family even earlier, but relatives do not like to talk about this.
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Mario Fernandez and
Fernandez's nephews are considered to have a sweet tooth. With a height of 187 cm, his ideal weight is 81 kg, but varies depending on his diet. Gremio representatives obliged him to eat at the base, since he was not accustomed to cooking, was fond of fast food and chocolates, and began to lose shape.
Mario considers himself unromantic and claims that he is not in love with anyone. His girlfriend, whom the footballer called his wife in an interview, did not want to move to Russia. According to the former sports director of CSKA Anton Evmenov, the player became a father when he was still playing for Gremio - his previous passion gave birth to a child. The Army team was worried about how parting with her and the story with the plane would affect the defender’s mood and performance on the field. But he behaved confidently and, most importantly, Leonid Slutsky liked him.
After receiving citizenship, Fernandez did not rule out the possibility of marrying a Russian woman, especially since he liked the local cuisine. A mother who periodically visits her son learned how to cook borscht. Most of all, the family is happy with how his second homeland has changed the athlete: he does not touch alcohol at all, he has become calm and peaceful.
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Mario Fernandez and his mother
The player is Brazilian by nationality, and not a Catholic, but an evangelist. In Russia, Fernandez often visits the temple, after the Brazilian church was closed, he goes to the Orthodox. After finishing his career, Mario doesn’t mind staying in Russia.
“Why not, everything is great in Russia,” the footballer summed up in an interview with a sports portal.
You can follow the events of the athlete’s life on social networks. Mario is an active Instagram user, posting photos taken both in training and outside the football field.
I go to church every week
How have you changed?
Mario Fernandez:
Having moved to Russia, I found God and changed my life. My family were churchgoers. They spent a lot of time in church. And I disappeared into nightclubs, drank, skipped training. But when I moved to Moscow, I somehow decided to go to a Brazilian church. And the people there helped me a lot. From that moment I changed and started reading the Bible. But at the same time, I am no saint. I make mistakes sometimes, just like anyone else. But I realized a lot and gave up a lot.
For example?
Mario Fernandez:
I don't touch alcohol at all. And before, I drank so much that sometimes I even came to training drunk. But at some point I realized: I’ve had enough. I even remember this day. We were sitting at lunch in a restaurant with friends in Porto Alegre when my agent came up and said: “Mario, CSKA just mailed such a contract. You can sign it." So, over lunch I signed the contract. One of my friends offered me a drink at that moment, but I refused. I limited myself to orange juice (smiles).
You said that you went to a Brazilian church in Moscow. Is it still open?
Mario Fernandez:
No, it was closed about a year ago. But it's not a problem. There are many other temples that I go to about once a week. For example, Russian Orthodox Christians.
Do you go to Catholic schools?
Mario Fernandez:
No, I'm not Catholic. I'm an evangelist. We base our life and ministry only on the canonical Bible. At the same time, I respect all movements in Christianity, because we all believe in God. But again: don’t think that I’m some kind of ideal person. This is wrong. I just changed.
Mario Fernandez now
At the end of the World Cup, interest in the Russian athlete flared up with renewed vigor. Fernandez's cost rose to €20 million, and CSKA did not agree to start negotiations if the contract specified a lower amount. Two Manchester clubs were eyeing the defender - United and City, Valencia and Inter, Bayern, Chelsea and Napoli. Mario's salary was € 2.2 million per year, which, according to sports analysts, immediately excluded the Italians from the list of applicants.
In the 2018/2019 season, Zenit St. Petersburg became the Russian football champion, which automatically sent the club to the Champions League. The management was faced with the question of strengthening the defense line, where Yuri Zhirkov, Elmir Nabiullin, Yaroslav Rakitsky, Igor Smolnikov and Alexander Anyukov, who was ending his career, remained. Eyes turned to Fernandez, who by that time had risen in price to € 26 million.
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Mario Fernandez in 2020
There is an unspoken agreement between Zenit and CSKA not to poach players from each other. But in this case, experts believe, we are talking about mutual benefit: the army team’s budget depends on reaching the group stage of the Champions League (there is a risk of not getting there this season), and the stadium needs to be completed.
And the “blue and white” are offering € 30 million for Mario. The Spanish “Atlético” is also ready to fork out the same amount. According to rumors, Fernandez himself is interested in moving to Madrid. In the meantime, the footballer is defending the colors of the Russian national team at the Euro 2020 qualifying tournaments.
