Created by Cruzeiro, defender needed SUS and today seeks success in Italy

O glam linked to football players is for the minority, while, for the majority of them, the sporting career is accompanied by difficulties in search of success. This is the case of the defender revealed by cruise Matheus Vieira, who, at 22 years old, already had an injury that momentarily interrupted his career on the pitch and is currently seeking to stand out by playing in the 5th Italian division.

Early career

Born in Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, Matheus started playing football in clubs in Baixada Santista, such as Jabaquara and Portuguesa Santista, until moving to São Paulo, in 2018, where he played alongside players like Beraldo, now at PSG. In April 2021, at the worst moment in Cruzeiro’s history, he arrived at Toca da Raposa to play for the under-20s.

In September 2021, with Joseph feeling unwell, he was selected by then coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo for the game against Goiás, in the Brasileirão Série B. “My time at Cruzeiro was a huge experience for me, both at the base and professionally, because I also trained with them”, he told TEMPO Sports.

Exit and difficulties

Not old enough to stay in the youth categories and without being used in the professional team, he left Cruzeiro. Afterwards, he transferred to Moto Club, in Maranhão, where he played his first games and scored his first goal as a professional. In December 2022, he had an agreement with São Caetano, a club that was once prominent in the country, but is now in crisis – and that is where the problems began.

Matheus Vieira would compete in the Campeonato Paulista Série A2 in 2023, but he started training the previous December, before signing his contract. During an activity, he suffered a serious knee injury, which made him unable to play. Without assistance from the São Paulo club, which he did not yet have an employment relationship with, he had to receive treatment through the Unified Health System (SUS).

“When I went through that moment, I thought a thousand things, but none of them was giving up what I wanted, right? Which was to play again, be willing and be able to continue my career. Many things went through my head, thinking I wouldn’t be able to to return to the way I was before, with 100%, without fear of anything. But football has that: the unlikely happens, and unfortunately it happened at that moment”, he commented.

Going to Europe

In the second half of 2023, he decided to move to Italy with his wife’s family and their 1-year-old son. As the boy was a minor, Matheus got the permissiona document that allows you to accompany your child in the European country even without having citizenship.

After resolving the other professional bureaucratic procedures, he joined Sangiustese VP, from Eccellenza (5th national division), where he is the only foreigner – he has already played more than 10 matches, most of them as a starter. As the club is located in Morrovalle, while he lives in Fano, the defender has to travel 2h30 by bus to train.

“My main objective here is to continue evolving, picking up the pace and increasingly adapting to Italian football. And being able to achieve great things here in Italy, being able to reach a series A, which is my main objective, or a series B”, he said .

Back to Brazil

According to Matheus, who is 1.89 meters tall, his desire is to remain on the Old Continent, at least for now. “At the moment, my thoughts are just to stay here in Italy or Europe, I don’t have the desire to return to Brazil yet, both for my professional and personal life”, he explained to the reporter.

“But who knows, maybe one day I’ll return to Brazil and be a little more recognized there too. I think that’s the desire of every kid who started at the base. For professionals, it’s always important to have recognition in their country of origin”, concluded Matheus Vieira.

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