Football Daily - In Focus with Matheus Cunha

Episode Date: February 22, 2025

Wolves forward, Matheus Cunha welcomes Kelly Somers to the club for sit down, where he talks about life in the Premier League, battling relegation and he’s aspirations on the international scene with Brazil.

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Let's let's start talking then about a busy few weeks for you. Let's start with January because it was a bit eventful, but it did end of course with you signing a new contract here at Wolves. Congratulations. How does it feel to have it all sorted out? Thank you. So it was a little bit crazy month for me. I never think about leaving, honestly. I know I have a lot of things to do already and then I always say this was the club then. Give me the chance to come back. I have good days in Atletico but after was like a lot of

doubts inside of me you know I have nearly to go to World Cup and then I didn't so it's a lot of questions and we have inside to prove for myself again and I can do a lot of things and yeah they opened the doors for me and then I always feel like I really want to give back everything and so to live in this kind of situations is hard but not to be I feel great to say like I don't want to give back everything. And so to live in these kinds of situations is hard, but not to be, I feel great to say like, I don't want to play for something more. It's like every single job in the world, everyone want to do the next step.

But yeah, I hope I let in the hands of God to control my life. And yeah, right now I'm so happy to be here. And I really want to keep doing good things. What was January like? Because everyone was talking about you, you were trying to perform on the pitch, of course you had the ban, you had a bit of an injury as well.

How did you stay so focused? Because there's a big task at hand here at Wolves. Yeah, you know, like I say, it was a crazy month for me. I have a lot of things. First time I did something wrong on the pitch, I felt so sad. Apologised again to the pitch, I felt so sad. I apologize again to the security from Ipswich. Yeah, but these kind of things always give you a chance to learn and then improve. Yeah, after this, I don't know when I'll be banned. I

don't know which games I can play. I can't. So I live a lot like, wow, it will be the last game. Next one will be the next. This one is the next. And then I never know, you know, so this was crazy about these kind of things also. And after this, you know, we have like very good results in the beginning of the pit. And yeah, so after I get the suspension to be out and after I come back, we don't have like the good results against Northampton. And yeah, it was like crazy because I really wanted to come back fast and help the team. But after things started to come, we never knew.

The people were thinking about what we would do, what the people behind us would do to give us a chance to change it or not. But these kinds of thing is not clear for the player, you know. And yeah, I try to keep my mind here. Even my friends in Brazil, every single people ask me what you do, what you do, but they never know, you know. Like, I never know if I have something or I don't, you never know. And then I try to keep focusing the pitch and help the team was like essential for keep doing like good things. Okay, so we're here in Wolverhampton and you're going to be in Wolverhampton a bit longer,

but I wanted to take you back to the very beginning because this is very different, isn't it, from where you grew up in Brazil? Talk to me about life as a young Roteus back in Brazil and where you're from. We started the weather, no? The weather is completely different. I wasn't going to bring it up. So, yeah, I come from a small city in Brazil. Not very small, but it's a small city.

Brazil is a little bit different, like the structure. I think I'm nearly from America. You know, like, heavy states and city between the state, inside of the state. And my city is the capital of my state. It's beautiful, unbelievable. I miss a lot my city. But, yeah, I begin in this kind of part, then we don't have like a lot of teams to play and then you know like show yourself for the world.

It's always like small clubs and you need to try. So I leave my city with eight between nine, ten to go and then I have one championship in Switzerland so we have like this kind of city games you know my team against the team of the other city and the coach for the other city like saw me and say like we need you to have like this competition in Switzerland so my father was afraid but yeah he always like he say to me was I have an opportunity and my father say no but I cannot cannot say no to you, you know, I can't say no to you. I want to give you the chance to go.

And then it was like the first step out of my city. I go with this team from Recife, I go to Switzerland with 10 or 11. And yeah, after this city is a little bit bigger than mine. So have like more culture with football, have more teams. And yeah, I think that was the beginning to the people saw me and then maybe give me the opportunity to

have a life in the football was a little bit like this. After to keep going this team I think with 13 to 14, with 11 I did the one test, we say test because like you know, yeah test I think is the same word you know, we did one test in Santos the club for Neymar you know, I did the test there but I was I think it's the same word, you know? We did one test in Santos, the club for Neymar, you know? I did the test there, but I was, I didn't pass the test. So he sent me back to home. How old were you at that point? Yeah, yeah, I was with 12, I think.

12, that's so young. So young, yeah. So imagine Santos to my city was, I don't know, maybe five hours fly. Yes, Brazil is so big. So you did a lot of traveling when you were very young? Yes a lot, a lot, a lot. But yeah so I did the pass the test, come back and then I said like I don't want to play more football. Did you? Yeah it is not for me and my family for my father's side

is whole teachers you know like always teacher. My father is chemistry teacher, my aunt is Portuguese and English teacher so so my whole family is... Were you ever going to be a teacher? You know, like, right now I don't think I have time to keep learning and then teach some people, but it was something like this and I said, no, I need to be good in the school because I have like this pressure inside of my house and I said, I don't want to play football. But I play football, you know, in school, then the school gives me... it's a particular school, so I didn't pay because I play football. I play football you know in school then the school give me it's particular school so I didn't pay because I play football so I need to

play football even I don't want but I need to play football and yeah I was like this and then I come back again and say I was only one step I want to go again and then go keep going and with 13 I go again but to another city Coritiba and then I did the test and that's how I'll be approved. I started with 14, leave my home, to go for another city like, I don't know, maybe 5 hours, 6 hours flight and then yeah, it was like crazy. From not being sure if you wanted to keep playing football and the rejection of that

early trial at Santos to then travelling away from home at such a young age. What was that like? How did you change your mindset and decide? You know, like when you are young, I always like father now, I think about and then always I talk with my parents about this and then they ask me but they always say like when you are young, we only think about your dream you know. I don't have like the responsibility to miss my family, to miss my friends. Of course that's happening. But it's completely different, you know, like when you are there and then you have the opportunity to play, you have the opportunity to have the life in the one big club in Brazil, was

something then, was your dream, you know? And then you feel like a little bit like, yes, it's the steps to the dream come true. So it was something like, it was easier, it was easier because this always was my dream to play football and then when we start you feel like yeah I need to give like this kind of chance to myself even with like the difficulties to be out of family, out of friends, everything like this but need to be like this and then I feel like yeah I need to pass this kind of things. You said before that your dad was really supportive and he's clearly, I've read loads of interviews, he's clearly been a big part of your career but I'm a mum and I'm wondering what your mum felt like

watching her little boy go off at such a young age. Yeah I always ask her like mum how you do this and she say like it was easier for me because every single thing that I want to do was with the ball. So even I say no to you, you come here and then you kick the ball for and then you broke my things in the home. So she wanted you to go so you stopped breaking things at home. She said like what for me was always your dream, you know, like I cannot like say no to you because it was when you are like a proven and I saw you so excited was something then like a mom. Even my heart was so small to let you go but your happiness was everything

for me and then I feel like oh man now I understand. So you went to Cortiba, how did you then end up going over to Europe even further away from your family to Switzerland? How did that come about? Imagine my series like in the north of Brazil and the south of Brazil. So that was quite far already. It's completely far away. It's like, I don't know, the distance is something crazy.

But the weather is completely different also. That is very cold. When I'm there, it's snow a little bit. You know, like, it was completely different for me. Imagine my city is like whole year, 28, it's cold for us. How do you cope over here? Wow. Yeah, you know, like, but when I moved to Coritiba, it started to be like two, three, you know, like the degree goes down and then I started to feel cold to understand,

like, the world is more than my city. And I feel like it was perfect for me because when I moved to Europe, I feel like, yeah, I'm adapted already, you know? Yeah, yeah. I passed the big proof already, so I feel fine. And then that was like a perfect time to learn and then understand more the life outside of the football. You need to prove yourself and then keep going with the hard situations in the life. So you went from Switzerland then you went to Germany and then you went to Atlético Madrid.

You've seen quite a lot of Europe already what did those experiences do for you? I think it was something that helped me a lot to be the player than I am right now. It was a lot of experiences with teammates, a lot of coaches, cultures. And I am someone who tries to, outside of the pitch, learn a lot from the cultures. I think this was a good point for me and without doubt, it has helped me a lot to be who I am now. And you speak quite a few languages as well, don't you? Which languages do you speak? I speak very good French, Spanish and Portuguese. And good English, very good English. I don't put my English in the same level

and then yeah I speak English, a little bit Italian when I need and yeah of course a little bit German. Amazing, so you were at Atletico Madrid and everything was going so so well for you and Qatar 2022, the World Cup was approaching and it did all look all signs pointed towards the fact you were going to be in that Brazil squad what was that like not to make that World Cup for you? Wow I think it was the first big break for my hair to my career you understand like everything like was normally I started to grow up and then after Switzerland, they go for the better club, better club,

and they start to be national. And then after we win the Olympics games, and then I start to be in the first national team. These was kind of things then always the... It's like this, wasn't it? Exactly, this was go up, always, always, always. And then the time of the World Cup, I would be like calling up. I think 90% of the calling ups, you know, like every single one I'm there, I'm there,

I'm there. And the last one I'm not, imagine. So it was for everyone in my family, for me, like we have like this expectative to be there. And then, you know, like to be Brazilian and then think about World Cup is everything for us you know I think between the sports I think this is something then if you conquer this chance to play was the you make everyone more proud than normally you understand what I mean yeah so and then when I'm not, I started to, you know, like to be down, to be sad and then to have a lot of questions inside of me, if I can, if not, but yeah,

I think this is when you remember, when you come from, I think that will show you, yeah, is only another more step to pass and then everything could be fine and then it was. We know it's fine now, but how did you deal with it at the time? When you get that call, or maybe you don't even get a call, to find out that you're not in the squad that you expected to be in, how did you deal with that? Well, it's hard to say because you don't have all the words in English to explain to you. We can get translated over. It was something then, honestly, it was a hard time.

The people don't think about football players can be down because we honestly have a lot of things. I come from a very humble family and then I completely understand the status that I am now, you know, with economic things, with possibilities, opportunities to play in another country, like, a beautiful moment in my life, but the people don't think you are a woman and then you can go down in hard moments for you because imagine I can put, like, all my perspective then I can play one World Cup, I can help my country to have another World

Cup, but when you are not there You know like you feel like I did everything for nothing You understand was a little bit like this and then it's not this world But was a little bit like a depression for you You know to go down you start to ask you a lot of things you don't want to go to the trainings You don't want to do the things but it's like I say, you know, like, my family help me a lot. I'm so grateful to have my family always outside,

like, to help me. I think the first thing that I do when I'm not there, I get, I think, five days off, and then I direct to go back to home to understand. Did you go to Disneyland? Did I read that you went to Disneyland? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I go to Disneyland, yeah, yeah. But after to go home Did I read that you went to Disneyland? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I go to Disneyland, yeah, yeah, but after to go home.

I go home before and yeah, it was, you know, like, these were like kind of details and when I arrived home I cried and then, you know, like I passed like all my emotions to my, to the people that really cared about me. And you know, like all my family come to me, you know like all my family come to me you know say my son was there already then I can look him and say no no God have everything it's not time to be down it's time to learn from this and yeah I always say this when you know where you come from and where you achieve for your career already like you have a lot of answers

for your questions you know, so I think about it, I look back and so it was a good point to look forward to later. And then of course in January 2023 once you'd got over that you'd had a bit of time to process it, you got to move to Wolverhampton. Can you remember the moment that you found out that this football club wanted you and how you felt? Of course I remember. It was near this kind of moment. I saw the World Cup. I think it's about to be in Atletico or not.

Everyone knows the structure, how Atletico play. And these kind of things. Then I did everything to be adapted, but it's not easy, you know. It's like every single club, the manager has a kind of decisions, then he has preferences, this is normal. And I really think at the moment was like, wow, I need to have a little bit more opportunities for me to show everyone who I am, you know. And when the wolves come in, I think about

it. One of my dreams was playing in the Premier League, so the wolves gave me the opportunity to be here and they said like, yeah, I really want to move. My wife, she always say to me, I want to live in England. Despite this weather. It's actually quite nice. And then I say like, yeah, so we have the opportunity to go, I want to go. And yeah, they opened the doors for me and then I remember every single moment when I arrived, when we started to fight, and yeah, now I think I show a little bit more who I am. And yeah, I want to do everything to help this club. to compete. That's your responsibility. So should we start questioning you as a manager then? To the biggest debates... He's a free agent at the end of the year, clubs can contact

him, who knows what's arrived in the inbox. The Premier League review, only on The Football Daily. Listen on BBC Sounds. The Football Daily podcast with Kelly Summers. First six months, that first half of season, you were here, I guess, probably quite hard, just getting used to everything, would you say? Honestly, I really want, like, a little bit more good things with the Wolves, you know. If we really think about it, it was like three seasons. Not three, but two seasons,

we have, like, these kind of fights for relegation, you know. The first one when I come in, oh, my have 10 points in middle of the season and then I come with a lot of new players we feel like wow afraid I can after I start to play and then I start to feel the league you know wow this league is not like this huh we cannot like coming and then start to get points it's not easier like I think but yeah in the end we solved the problems, we played well and then it was a very good experience to start you know and the second season like I feel like yes right now I need to show more

me you know like a little bit. How have you done that? Why do we see more of you now? What's changed? I think like my mind you know how I start to work a lot like outside of the club I start to do my things with I always do you know but when I after everything then I pass my life with the World Cup with you know the time in Atletico everything like I feel like I start to be more how I can say to you I start to think more like I need to change kind of things to show like really to be more focused to do everything than I can and yeah, I think that's helped me a lot because I feel also the the love of the club and yeah when you have like this

kind of help, you know, you feel like yes, it's here then I need to I'm perfect time to show everyone what the things then I can do. But yeah, I don't think I have like the perfect words to say what changes to be who I am now. But I really only think about like the capacity and the love that the club give me. And then it was easier to show everyone back who I am.

Yeah, you've been here two years now. a lot has happened in that time but one other thing that's happened since you've been here, you've persuaded a few Brazilians to come over and join you. There's a few of you here now isn't there? Yeah, yeah this is true. The people start to to ask me, manage of the Brazilians here. I moved to Europe at 18 and then at the time then I go there, I didn't meet the Brazilians before I went to Switzerland. And I know how important it is to have someone that can help you to adapt in the club. And yeah, when the director talked to me about the players and then I met Andre before. João came with me, but Andre I met before in the national team and Pedro is from my city.

So this was like easier things to say to them like come here because everything that you need I'm a little bit more adapt already I will help you and I hope like enjoy like enjoy to be here. And yeah I think this is kind of things that helps a lot of players because it starts to feel a little bit more safe when we have someone who will help you there. So, yeah, I think it was easier for me to come here because I have a lot of things to enjoy here. So you spoke to the Brazilians to try and persuade them to come. You're quite a big part of this squad, not only because of your goal contributions and everything on the pitch, but you're also part of the leadership group here as well, aren't you?

What's that like? Who else is on it? And how do you kind of impact things? I think like I'm very young, but I honestly have a little bit more experience than a lot of guys in the club. I mean, how many clubs I pass already, you know, how many leagues, everything like this. I feel like, if I need to give back to my teammates, I feel like if I need to give back to my teammates the capacity to be brave and then fight with every single team in the league with the mind that we can win, I will do, you know, like help with everything outside of the pitch. I feel I have like this kind of talent to adapt in these kind of countries in the world. So I feel like, yeah, I'm ready to help the people,

I'm ready to learn and teach the things then I can do. But yeah, I feel leadership never come when you want, come when you start to do these things. Right now I feel like I need the response, I have a responsibility here, you know? It's not like a leader because I want to be leader or something like this I really feel like I have the responsibility and when you start to feel the people around you ask you And they start to learn from you you start to feel like yeah, I have a lot of things to to give back

So yeah, it's not like like I say is not leader like a captain But of course leader like a teacher, you know. And then I have this in my home, a lot of teachers around me. You're just going to say that's your dad's influence, isn't it? So yeah, yeah, this kind of influence is like, yeah, it's good for me. I really want to help the people and then, yeah, of course it was like easier to have like this kind of status now. Haven't you done a few team building activities recently as well? You've been out

away from the pitch, is that right? Yeah, normally I think the Churrasco is in my home. When we do something like this, they meet, you know, and then we always like have like this kind of time together outside of the club. I try to be, to do something there, but yeah, I like yeah more in the more out of the pitches like questions like normal questions you know like what we can do here what which school is good but you have like a club then help us a lot and then I think more than me I help more the players to to adapt in the pitch I really think like this. So we're in February now you've mentioned it

previously Wolves fighting to stay in the Premier League. How confident are you that this second half of the season you can achieve your aims? How confident I am? Honestly, when I use this shirt I really feel like I have talent and then commitment to change the things and help my teammates to change it with me. You know, with all the humility in the world, I don't want to be better than no one. But I really feel like my capacity is there to change one game, to make a difference when we need. And of course these kind of things, then when you feel your confidence and then you feel like help the players,

this is kind of details that give you a lot of chance to win the games. And of course, it's hard to say something now because a lot of things happen already in the league. But yeah, in the beginning a lot of people say like, yeah, your club needs to buy more, to do this more, to do that more. But they say like, guys, I'm only player. And then... You call us only players? Exactly.

Even the people think about I'm manager, to persuade the players, but I'm only the player. And then the only thing then I can do is like go to the pitch, help the club, help my teammates to have like the goal in the end of the games. The goal is always win and yeah, this is kind of the deal. I try to control more, you know. What I can do, what I can control is like go to the pitch and then be a player.

Be a player, be a leader like you say, teach the people and help the people to win the games. Are you loving being Wolves' main man? I feel like you are. It's a hard question, you know, like of course you like to be someone important. Everyone wants to be important and it's like I don't want to be like the star man. I really want to be someone important to the people who remember I do something good for them. You understand? I? This was like a little bit inside of me, like yes, you give me everything

and then I really want to get the responsibility. I don't care if it was too much, I want to do everything to show everyone like I'll fight for you inside of the pitch and then keep do like hope, keep do like some magic moments for them. You're talking of magic moments. There aren't too many players

who essentially announced their contract extension with a celebration of a goal because that's what you did against Aston Villa wasn't it? You literally told the whole stadium before it was announced that you were going to sign and you signed straight after the game is that right? Yeah that's right. The conversation was there always and then you know like there was always little details to finish. And I feel like it's too much for my mind. I only want to be focused on the pitch. I don't want to think about this.

And the way like I know was so everything. And then I go to the game to say like, yes, now is my moment. So like now is like I said to you, now is the things that I can control more than everything. So this is my page. I do the things for sure. Everyone like why I do my contract, why like I love to be here. And then of course I think that people's nose like with like the results, you know, like when you win, when you score goals, when like you show everyone are you happy in the page.

I think this is kind of details then you give them power and love to understand like yeah it's about this I sign you know like I sign to keep doing this kind of things for you. It must be pretty good being Mateusz Cunha at the moment because you signed your contract and I did notice in the video that the club put out your wife was there your little boy was there and it looks like there's another mini Mateusz Cunha potentially on the way as well. Yeah, you know, like I have like a lot of good things in my life and I'm so grateful for to go to everything then I achieved. And it's not a bad moment to have another contract then we have like another babe to come in, you know, like you need to think about your life and then you know, you are

your mom, you know, these kind of things., yeah, I think my family is so happy. You know, I really want to enjoy the moment to be happy with my family and be happy on the pitch. You know, I think this kind of moments together is not always the new have. But when you have like this perfect moment to show everyone, like I have a new contract. This is very good thing. And then I have a new contract, it's a very good thing and then I have a new baby to come so I really want to enjoy everything together. Well Brazil have obviously had a fair few famous footballers come from there. Growing up who was someone that you looked up to?

You know like it's hard question, Brazil is honest like the first one is Ronaldinho you know like someone then when I saw him this kind of things like really changed me, you know, like wow he's there, you know, like what the things that he do in the football or something then wow. Even I'm very young but when you continue to saw, when you go to YouTube, these kind of things like how he changed the emotion of the people and always play with the smile in the face is something then I love to see. Of course I have Ronaldo to do a lot of things. Mario was the time, I was very, very young, but this kind of players changed the mind of the Brazilians,

changed the mind of the people in the world to think about football and then they started to love football. But then of course the guy then then I grown up like a little bit more someone they understand more football. Of course, was Neymar, you know, like even he were like not very distance of the ages, but he started to play with, I don't know, maybe 15, 16. And he started to be the idol of like,

I think whole my generation. And then yeah, to play with him later, he's someone that, you know, like, I always like support, I always wish the best. And like a person when you meet like your idol, like a person, and then you can see he's still someone and you want like to be together, to understand more, and your respect like come higher,

and then you start to wish more good things to him because I think more important maybe some idol in the football is to be a good person around the sample people in the world. You played with Neymar and is it right that you're in touch with Ronaldinho now? Yeah, I'm not in touch. In touch is like something very close, I'm not like this. Have you got each other's phone numbers? Yeah. No, but I never send message. I never send message, I'm not like this. Have you got your other phone numbers? Yeah, no, but I never send message. I never send message, never, never, never.

And then I would not do. I'm afraid to do. But yeah, only because they know you, it's already kind of things and wow, you are the kid from João Pessoa and then these kind of players know you, wow. You achieve some things and you don't think about it, you know, you never dream like, wow, I'm higher level in my life. So yeah, you feel happy

to only like to be someone that never like changed your sample things in the life and yeah, these kind of players know you because I really think you touch some level that you always dream of. An exciting few months, a big few months on the pitch ahead, but exciting overall would you say, rather than sometimes when you're in a relegation battle, people feel a bit fearful, a bit scared. Do you think Wolves fans should be excited about what this team could achieve? Of course they need to be excited.

They need to be excited. Like I always say to them, like keep belief to the end, you know, like the football is crazy, it passes a lot of moments. I remember I fight for title a lot of times when I play in Leipzig, when I play in Atletico,

of course we fight for the title. And sometimes when Hertha here now we fight for for legate so the the football is like the world always third and then yeah we need to be prepared for every single moment like now you need to feel focused you need to feel like confident to change the situation and yeah I feel like I will do everything so I hope I help everyone to be better and then we solve the situation as fast as we can. Mateus, thank you so much for your time. I'm going to let you go because you're wearing shorts.

A boy from Brazil should not be walking around in a pair of chin shorts. When I see the sun here I want to run already, yes, sun! But when you are cold, oh my god, it's not the same sun. Well thank you very much, best of luck for the rest of the season. Thank you very much. It was a pleasure. The Football Daily Podcast with Kelly Summers. Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful British manager of all time. Solskjaer has won the European Cup for Manchester United.

So how did this apprentice toolmaker from Glasgow become one of the most iconic figures in sporting history? His strength, his character, his determination, the fight in him. Ferguson was every department. He can be persuasive, he can be charming, he can be frightening. Go down as the best, it's as simple as that. I'm Kelly Cates and this is Sporting Giants, Sir Alex Ferguson. I didn't want to feel, I couldn't feel.

Listen on BBC Sounds.