Cássio's 'successor' loses ground at Cruzeiro, now expendable | OneFootball

Matheus Cunha’s path at Cruzeiro took a dramatic turn in just six months.

The goalkeeper, who signed a pre-contract back in 2025 with a view to the long-term transition toward Cássio’s retirement (currently 39), failed to establish himself and is now out of Artur Jorge’s coaching staff plans, according to ge.

To fill the position, the club’s board has already requested the return of Léo Aragão, who had been out on loan and was a starter for Avaí in Série B, pushing Cunha even further down the pecking order among Cruzeiro’s goalkeepers.

The golden chance and the loss of his spot

Matheus Cunha’s journey in Belo Horizonte was marked by setbacks from the start. In the first week of preseason, he suffered a knee injury that kept him out of the opening rounds of the Campeonato Mineiro, opening the door for then-third-choice goalkeeper Otávio.

Matheus’ big opportunity came in March, after Cássio suffered a serious injury. The board decided not to go into the market and put their faith in the No. 1:

He played nine straight matches as a starter in the Brasileirão.

Despite the initial vote of confidence from coach Artur Jorge, his performances did not convince.

Matheus ultimately lost his place for good to the young Otávio, who seized the opportunity with strong performances and led the club to give up on signing a new goalkeeper.

The future of Cruzeiro’s goal

When training resumed after the World Cup break, the decision was made: the best path for the goalkeeper, whose contract runs until the end of 2028, is to seek a fresh start elsewhere. He was not even included in the squad for the recent friendly against Defensor — it was Vitor Lamounier from the U-20s who played in the second half.

Cruzeiro’s current goalkeeping hierarchy has Otávio and Léo Aragão competing directly, along with Marcelo Eráclito and Lamounier (moving up from the academy). Cássio continues to recover well after knee surgery and is expected to return in the second half of August.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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