Bernardo Silva on losing his starting spot, preferred position, and his "idol"

PALM BEACH - Ahead of Portugal's World Cup Round of 16 clash against Croatia, Bernardo Silva spoke on behalf of the national team.

-You started against DR Congo, played 15 minutes against Uzbekistan, and didn't feature against Colombia. How are you feeling, considering you're usually a guaranteed starter for the national team?

-I understand the question, but it's not very relevant. We have a large squad, and we're all here for the same goal. Of course, we all come with ambitions to play, to be part of it, and to contribute, and the coach has a difficult job choosing. Throughout my career, it's true that less so in recent years, but in the initial phase, I also went through those moments, so I'm used to it. Of course, I want to be involved, of course, I want to contribute, and of course, I believe I can help. I'm ready. I'm ready to help the national team in whatever capacity, whether as a starter, playing five minutes, or in the locker room. I'll be here to help wherever needed.

-What's it like to be with the national team at a major tournament, knowing you're moving to Real Madrid and will work with Mourinho?

-I won't answer questions about Real Madrid. I'm in too important a national team context to be focused elsewhere. Of course, I'm very happy with my move, but I'm entirely focused on the national team. The coming weeks will be all about my country and helping our team as much as I can.

-In this knockout stage where details can decide the outcome of a match, do you have any superstitions?

-No, I'm not big on those things. I like to stick to my routines, do the same things, sleep well, rest well, but I don't have any specific rituals.

-If Portugal beats Croatia, they'll only play in indoor stadiums from now on. Could that be an advantage? Are the weather conditions affecting the team's performance?

-I don't think so. The conditions are the same for both teams. We have to adapt. Conditions will never be an excuse; the pitches have been good. We have to do our job and focus on what we can control. It's a minor issue for us; we need to prepare for Croatia, whether in an open or closed stadium, and perform at our highest level.

-Do you think the criticism the national team has received is fair?

-We're very used to it; it's part of our job. Football is a game that involves a lot of passion, even more so for the national team than for clubs. We understand that. Personally, having been in football for many years, I'm quite accustomed to it. We started with people putting us down here [at the bottom], then after Uzbekistan, we were up here [at the top], and now we're back down here again [at the bottom]. As players, our job is to always stay somewhat in the middle and not let it become an emotional rollercoaster. We try to be as stable as possible, knowing that at times, of course, we wanted to be at a higher level and understand what went wrong, try to improve, and try to do things well. But we don't want to be like that. We want to be consistent to arrive at games prepared. We know the World Cup is a difficult competition, not just for Portugal but for all national teams. We know there are things we need to improve, that criticism is part of it, and we know how to deal with it. What we can guarantee is that we are all doing our best for things to go well. The reality is that we've reached a knockout stage, we're in a good position to continue our journey, and we are very confident. We have things to improve, but we are very confident that things will go well.

-Do you accept losing your starting spot when some players have played 270 minutes in this first phase?

-It's not my job to discuss the coach's choices. That's why we have a national team coach, who has a difficult job because we have a squad with a lot of quality in all areas. All players come with the intention of playing, helping our national team, and being part of it, and it's up to the coach to make tough decisions. When it's not our turn, as in the last two games, it's our responsibility to do our best, support those on the field, train well, create a good atmosphere, and above all, be ready when the opportunity arises again to be prepared to respond and help our national team.

-Considering the characteristics of the national team, where do you think your qualities would be most effective?

-That's a difficult question to answer because throughout my career, I've played in many different positions. Even in midfield, I've played as a 10, an 8, and a 6. I think my natural characteristics lean a bit more towards one area, even though I've played many positions in my career. It's obvious that having the routines of an entire season playing in one position and suddenly changing also makes it a bit difficult. But it's hard to answer that. I think, especially at this stage of my career, I'm more prepared to play in certain positions. Now, if I tell you that at this moment I'm a midfielder, as I played almost my entire season at Manchester City, I'd be going a bit against everything my career has been. At many points in my career, I also thought my natural positions were more in midfield, and my Manchester City coach [Pep Guardiola] often played me completely out of those positions. I've played as a false nine, I've played as a right winger, so I'm prepared to play in all positions. It's obvious that my natural characteristics adjust a bit more to central midfield positions, even more so at this stage of my career, but I'm here to help. I truly am, and wherever the coach thinks is best for the national team, I'll be there.

-Portugal will go from an opponent with great physical intensity to one that prioritizes game control. Does it seem to you that, despite Croatia's immense quality, it might be a type of game, at certain moments, more favorable for Portugal than the one against Colombia?

-Perhaps. They are a European team, with a playing style more similar to ours, we'll see. They are a team with a lot of quality, I have friends there, I know the Croatian spirit very well, they are a very combative team with a great love for their country. That has to be proven on the field. Of course, it's a completely different profile.

-Is it difficult to bring so many different characteristics and playing styles to the national team?

-This is a very relevant topic for almost all national teams. Eventually, there might be one or two that have a very characteristic style, for example, the Germans all play in Germany and grow up playing the same way. The Spanish almost all play in Spain and grow up playing the same way. And we don't have that characteristic. Our football is very different. Due to the lack of financial capacity of Portuguese clubs to retain our players, most players are playing abroad and in completely different leagues, with very different styles. When there isn't the time that a club has to prepare, it's a difficult adaptation. Bruno plays very differently at his club than João and Vitinha play. Nuno Mendes plays very differently than Cancelo perhaps plays at his club. And this adaptation is a constant struggle, not just now, but always in the national team and in many national teams. But these short competitions are also different, where small details and the mental aspect, emotion, intuition count a lot. Although I think it's relevant and I would love for Portugal to create a more similar philosophy so that we can have that easier understanding in the national team, the reality is that we don't have it. But these short competitions don't depend on that. The individual quality, the love, and the desire I see in this team to represent our country and to do things well, that emotional part, and then seeing where the players play and what they have already done and how prepared they are for this type of competition, I truly believe that this aspect in a short, knockout competition is somewhat secondary.

-After the elimination in the last World Cup, you were very disappointed because you felt Portugal could really win. Do you also feel this unity and that Portugal can indeed be world champions? Do you have the same confidence as in 2022?

-Without a doubt. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here. We arrived here in the United States with great ambition to do well, knowing that other teams have the exact same ambitions. We are still quite far from thinking about that because we obviously have to take it game by game, but I believe a lot in this team. Without a doubt.

-Croatia is a team that heavily prioritizes ball control. Besides the emotional factor, could control also be a decisive element in this match?

-Absolutely. Controlling the game, especially with the ball, which we lacked a bit in the last match, is a very important factor for our team to play well. We have players with brutal talent who, when they don't have the ball, tend to get a bit frustrated over time. It's undoubtedly crucial to find that balance between being aggressive offensively – for example, we weren't as aggressive against DR Congo – but also not losing emotional control and being a team that keeps possession. So, that balance in football is sometimes the most difficult thing. Trying to be a team that creates danger, that is aggressive, that is direct, while at the same time not losing control of the game, which we did lose a bit against Colombia, for example. That will be very important.

-Does the impression left by the Colombia game hurt Portugal's favoritism in the knockout stage? Is there any extra difficulty for European teams, after a day when Germany and the Netherlands were eliminated?

-Regarding the Colombia game, we definitely felt we could have done better and wished the game had gone in another direction. We lost a bit of control of the game, and there are things to improve. A big positive in a knockout competition is that in these tournaments, there will never be eight perfect games. Feeling that in a game that wasn't perfect, we still managed to keep a clean sheet, for example, we managed to be competitive, and even not playing the way we wanted, we could still have won the game, shows that this team is prepared to be competitive and eliminate any team even on days when things don't go well, or as well as we expect. We hope those moments happen as little as possible, but it's still a testament to the players' character, who in moments of frustration continued to fight and believe we could win the game. As for the European teams, it's like this: in the World Cup, it's no longer a surprise. All teams are very strong, all are very physical, all understand the game. I think there's been a big change, especially in the last ten years; football has become much more tactical, it's difficult to win football matches. What we saw yesterday in the Brazil, Germany, and Netherlands games didn't surprise me.

-How do you rate your stay in Palm Beach?

-It was great. It's been fantastic. They have an excellent place here. The people were very kind to us. The way they welcomed us was simply fantastic, and we are very grateful to have spent these weeks here in Palm Beach, so I only have praise. I've been fortunate enough to have had the experience of being here in the past, and it's a place I really like.

-How does Portugal manage the responsibility, the favoritism, and how do they mentally approach the Round of 16, considering the responsibility they had to finish first in the group stage?

-We wanted to finish first in the group, but we didn't manage it. It's not the end of the world, but we obviously wanted to do better. But we're fine, we're prepared. We felt that the game against Colombia was a great test to realize how difficult it is to play against these teams. Colombia also played a great game against us. Favorites, I don't know, but we go into this game against Croatia with a lot of respect for them and a strong desire to do well and move forward, which is our goal.

-How do you view Luka Modric's legacy, who at 40 years old continues to be Croatia's main figure?

-Luka is, in fact, an idol for me. Not only for the way he plays and maintains himself at the highest level, but also for the way he conducts himself throughout his career. To still be playing at this level at his age is fantastic. I've been lucky enough to play against him many times. I even asked for his jersey in one of the matches between Manchester City and Real Madrid; I'm very happy I did, it's perhaps one of the most special jerseys I own. I wish him the best, not in the coming days because I want to beat him, but he is a great inspiration to me.