NafisaFA Explains Two-Game Ban for Wolves’ Matheus Cunha After Clash with Town Security
The Football Association (FA) has released the detailed reasoning behind its decision to suspend Wolves striker Matheus Cunha for two matches following his post-match altercation with a member of Ipswich Town’s security team.
The incident occurred on December 14th after Ipswich Town secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Wolves at Molineux. Cunha, a Brazilian international, was accused of elbowing a Town security staff member in the back of the head before forcibly removing the man’s glasses. The actions, missed by referee Simon Hooper, resulted in a misconduct charge from the FA three days later, which Cunha accepted.
Despite the severity of the allegations, it took until December 30th for the FA to convene an independent regulatory commission to deliberate on the case. During this time, Cunha remained eligible to play and even scored twice for Wolves. The FA faced criticism for the delay, with many questioning why the disciplinary process took so long.
Following the incident, Cunha issued an apology to the security guard, who was reimbursed for the cost of replacing his glasses.
Cunha’s Testimony
In his defence, Cunha provided an account of the altercation, expressing regret for his actions but asserting that he felt provoked during the chaotic scenes following the match. He claimed that his actions were an instinctive response to protect himself and his teammate, Rayan Aït-Nouri, who had been shown a second yellow card during the fracas.
“As I tried to get closer to Rayan to make sure he was okay, I was suddenly surrounded by a lot of people,” Cunha explained in his testimony.
“I felt like I was being shoved by the ITFC security personnel, so I shoved them back in an effort to break away from them to protect myself. It was never my intention to come into contact with Mr [redacted], and I certainly never meant to elbow him. I simply wanted to push him away from Rayan.
“Then all of a sudden, I remember Mr [redacted] turned round and had his hands on my shirt, and I shouted ‘stop,’ but he kept hold of my shirt.
“Mr [redacted] is much bigger than me, and I was surrounded by a large number of people, mainly ITFC personnel, so I remember feeling quite threatened at the time. So in an effort to get Mr [redacted] to let go of my shirt, in the heat of the moment I regrettably reached out and grabbed his glasses. I know it was wrong to do this, and I take full responsibility for my actions.”
Commission’s Findings
The regulatory commission reviewed witness statements, evidence provided by Ipswich Town staff, and three video clips of the altercation. Despite Cunha’s account, the panel did not find his explanation convincing.
“Having repeatedly viewed the video footage, the commission did not accept [Cunha]’s version of events,” the report stated.
“It noted that there were a number of individuals on the pitch, although it was not possible to determine their roles and clubs in every instance.
“However, it did not see any provocation from ITFC personnel that would have caused [Cunha] to behave as he did. In particular, [the security staff member] appeared calm and was simply standing on the pitch with his arms out to act as a barrier to those behind him.
“Understandably, [the staff member] turned round when he felt [Cunha]’s elbow on him, and indeed put his hand on [Cunha], but he did not appear aggressive at this point, and the commission could see no justification for [Cunha]’s action in touching his face and removing his glasses.
“The commission noted that [Cunha] had to be restrained and led away by [Wolves] staff/teammates.”
Additionally, the commission rejected Wolves’ assertion that Ipswich Town’s security team had acted with undue aggression.
Mitigating Factors
Despite the panel’s scepticism regarding Cunha’s testimony, they acknowledged several mitigating factors in their decision to reduce the suspension from three matches to two. These included Cunha’s immediate apology, his offer to cover the cost of the damaged glasses, and his previously clean disciplinary record.
The regulatory body also lowered the proposed fine from £120,000 to £80,000 in light of these mitigating factors.
Impact of Suspension
Cunha served the first game of his suspension during Wolves’ 3-0 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest on January 6th. He will also miss Wolves’ upcoming FA Cup third-round tie against Bristol City this weekend.
This punishment has drawn mixed reactions, with some feeling it strikes the right balance of fairness, while others believe the initial delay in handling the case undermined the process. Regardless, the incident has highlighted the importance of discipline and professionalism, both on and off the pitch.
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