Matheus Cunha was suspended after being shown a straight red card against Bournemouth in the FA Cup fifth round.
Cunha was handed an additional one-game ban, keeping him sidelined for a total of four matches.
The FA has now announced the reasons behind their decision to award the South American with retrospective punishment.
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What the FA have said about Matheus Cunha’s ban
After being shown a red card by Chris Kavanagh, Cunha was seen clashing and arguing with officials and other players.
Consequently, justifying their decision to extend his ban and issue him a £50,000 fine, the FA have confirmed the forward was charged with ‘acting in an improper manner after he was sent off’.
The key takeaways from the FA’s report are:
- Cunha approached the fourth official (Rob Jones) to ask why he was sent off and Milos Kerkez was not.
- Jones acknowledged Cunha’s frustrations by teammates and security pushing him towards the tunnel.
- Wolves believe Cunha should not have had a playing sanction and believed just a warning would have been appropriate.
- The commission believe Cunha’s reaction was inappropriate and should have proceeded down the tunnel of his own accord.
The FA added Cunha ‘subsequently admitted the charge’ and that the ‘sanctions were imposed following a hearing’.
Back for Spurs with a point to prove
As the FA have acknowledged, Cunha will be free to return to domestic football from Sunday, 13 April 2025 — the day Wolves host Spurs at Molineux.
Although the Old Gold are nine points clear of the drop, Vitor Pereira will know his side cannot afford to take their foot off the gas until their safety is guaranteed.
This is why Cunha’s return will be a welcome boost for Pereira, who, despite Jorgen Strand Larsen’s recent upturn in form, is likely to bring the Brazilian back into the starting lineup.
Spurs’ inconsistencies this season make hosting them an attractive prospect with three more points a much more realistic outcome than in previous campaigns.