Paulo Bernardo reckons Cristiano Ronaldo offers him the ideal example on how to cope with the constant top-level demands at Celtic.
The Portuguese star can’t get enough of the big games as he strives to build his career. As part of Brendan Rodgers’ squad, it’s a non-stop scenario. Huge games, expectations to win and a never-ending challenge to try and keep your place in the team. Currently, Celtic are in another physically and mentally demanding period. Bernardo and his colleagues face Atalanta in the Champions League just five days after a top-of-the-table ding-dong Premiership clash with Aberdeen.
Following Bergamo, there’s another battle against a Euro big gun RB Leipzig, a Premier Sports Cup semi-final against the Dons and crucial league games against Motherwell, Dundee and Kilmarnock crammed into the period before the next international break. Also representing his country at Under-21 level, there is no time for rest during the club shutdowns either, but it’s just how the midfielder wants it.
At a time when the demands being placed onto top-level players is under severe scrutiny and his manager last week speaking about the game soon becoming a 12-month affair, there are some who are either unhappy or won’t cope. However, when your compatriot is one of the world’s greatest-ever players and has been doing it for two decades, Bernardo has the perfect role model.
Ronaldo’s ability got him to the top. His desire and appetite for work and fitness approaching his 40th birthday has kept him there. Bernardo looks at such dedication and graft and said: “Yeah, for sure. I think that is what separates him from the rest of the players.
“His mentality is really strong and he focuses on football like no-one does, so he’s an example for me and I can learn really much about him. The big players of the big teams, they’ve always been at this level and they always played those matches, so we need to be ready, too.”
Naturally, the crammed calendar isn’t ideal, but, asked if players worry about that sort of thing, the Celtic ace said: “I think some players, yes, some players don’t. It’s a lot of games and for some players, maybe they could not play so many games because they are not prepared or they have some issues in the legs.
“But, yeah, for me, as many games as I can play, I will play happily. It’s the life as a big-team club, so we need to be prepared and we need to focus on the next game and not on the other ones.
“We need recovery after the games and these weeks that we have more games, we cannot train very hard, we need to rest, too. It’s always hard to have these types of weeks, but it is what it is and we need to perform. It’s what I dreamed before, so I won’t complain and I want to play every game.”
Of course, in the midst of such punishing schedules, it can be as much about the mind as the body. Although sometimes the physical exertions will make it too much for the body to do everything, a desire and determination in the head holds a big key.
Bernardo feels that way as he explained: “Yeah, I think if you feel tired or if you think that you can’t do it, you feel more tired. If you think that you are fresh for the next game, it’s better.
“Sometimes it’s physical too because the body can’t resist it without vacations or rests, but I think it’s mental too and a big part of the mentality to play.”
Rodgers, of course, has shrewdly built his squad to offer the best opportunity to get the best out of each individual and the collective. With competition for places strong and the ability for personnel to be altered, the Celtic boss has options in his bid to keep it fresh and vibrant.
Bernardo’s midfield position is the perfect case in point. Alongside himself, captain Callum McGregor, Belgian international Arne Engels, Japanese ace Reo Hatate and Scot Luke McCowan bring a variation in styles and cultures are are ready to take the baton when required by Rodgers.
The strength of the unit and the fixture demands means players have to accept that there will be times they play, and times they may not. Bernardo is content with the situation and said: “Yeah, for sure. I think the coach will play the best players that he thinks they are at the moment, so sometimes we will have to wait for the opportunity and sometimes we will have the opportunity. When the opportunity comes, you need to show up and step up for the team.”
The spots are all up for grabs again tomorrow night when Rodgers sets about finalising his side for Atalanta. Bernardo has already had his talents utilised is different ways by the manager at the start of this season’s campaign.
On the opening night against Slovan Bratislava, McGregor, Engels and Hatate started with the Portuguese arriving from the bench. However, in Dortmund, it was Bernardo who got the starting nod alongside the skipper and the £11 million signing.
Rodgers also handed the former Benfica kid starts in the group-stage last season and he said: “I’m really happy that I can play these games and it’s a great experience, too.”