Fred has revealed he spends time with players from Liverpool and Manchester City away from football, the Manchester United midfielder enjoying the company of the Brazilian contingent situated in the north west of England.
Including Fred, eight Brazilians currently play for the three clubs, with others, such as on-loan Sevilla full-back Alex Telles, having recently departed in the past season.
Despite Manchester United's huge rivalry with both Liverpool and Manchester City, Brazilian players at all three clubs hang out together in their spare time due to the geographical proximity of one another. As Fred describes to FourFourTwo, it's a positive having others from his country close by.
"It’s so beneficial to have a group of Brazilian players in the Liverpool and Manchester area," Fred explains to FFT. "Whenever possible, we hang out and relax.
"I have a great friendship with Fernandinho – sadly he went back to Brazil last summer, but I’m very happy to see him getting more minutes again, at Athletico Paranaense.
"I’m good mates with Ederson, Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino. Sometimes we go to church together. Our wives get along well, too, so we often meet up, either for a quick coffee or for a barbecue. We always used to go over to Fernandinho’s house; now it can be at Alisson’s or Ederson’s.
"Regardless of the place, we like spending time together, which is important when a big part of our families is back in South America. This small Samba community that we’ve created helps us all to cope with the long distance from our loved ones in Brazil."
When Manchester United face Manchester City in the FA Cup final, though, those friendships will certainly be thrown out the window. Fred is confident United can stop City at Wembley, which will also put an end to their hopes of a historic treble in the process.
