 On 1 July 2018, the 34-year-old Fernandes returned to Portuguese club football for the first time in 16 years, joining S.C. Farense for their upcoming season back in LigaPro.He made his debut for the Algarveans – his first professional appearance in the country – on 11 August, in a 1–0 home win over F.C.Famalicão.