Former Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler apologises to Man Utd star Bruno Fernandes for deliberate mistake
MARTIN TYLER has apologised to Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes for deliberately saying his name wrong.
The iconic commentator was the voice of the Premier League before leaving Sky Sports at the end of last season.
Tyler spent 33 years at the broadcasters and has now opened up on his career on The Joy of Football podcast.
With the 78-year-old veteran revealing that he deliberately pronounced Fernandes‘ name wrong as the correct way of saying it was too harsh on English listeners’ ears.
Tyler said: “Portuguese is really difficult. The Manchester United number eight is ‘Bruno Fer-nanj’.
“And if I said that, I’d be laughed out of the commentary box, wouldn’t I? But that’s what it is.
“We get sent, it’s very good of the Premier League, they get the players who must get fed up with doing it every year they say their name to the camera so that the world broadcasters can get it.
“And Bruno comes up and goes ‘Bruno Fer-nanj’ and we all call him ‘Bruno Fer-nan-des’. Bruno, my apologies.
On certain commentators all pronouncing players’ names differently, Tyler added: “Some are very linguistically good, some find it really difficult and want to anglicise everything.
“But if you can get access to the player, ask the player.
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“The viewers need consistency, when you’ve spoken to a player and he’s made it quite clear that that’s how he wants his name said, you can’t really be responsible for the other commentators if they choose to do it a different way.
“At least now we’ve got the names on the back of the shirts haven’t we.”
Tyler is most associated with the Prem – but he has also covered the World Cup and Champions League during his lengthy career.
He is additionally a qualified coach and has been an assistant for brief spells at Hemel Hempstead Town and Dartford in the sixth tier.