Revealed: FA stunningly reduce Matheus Cunha ban by one game after Wolves star agreed to buy new glasses for Ipswich security guard involved in scuffle

The controversy arose after Wolves suffered a 2-1 defeat against Ipswich Town at Molineux. Following the match, Cunha became involved in a heated exchange that resulted in physical contact with an Ipswich security official. An independent commission reviewed the incident and categorized it as a “serious” offence. Consequently, the Football Association (FA) imposed a three-game suspension and fined Cunha £120,000 for his actions.

However, Cunha later issued a heartfelt apology, expressing regret for his actions. He insisted that it was not premeditated but stemmed from a moment of heightened emotion during the post-match chaos.

“It was never my intention to come into contact with [the Ipswich employee] and I certainly never meant to elbow him,” Cunha said. “I simply wanted to push him away from [teammate] Rayan Aït-Nouri. Then all of a sudden, I remember [he] turned round and had his hands on my shirt, and I shouted ‘stop’ but he kept hold of my shirt.

“[He] 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 [him] 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.”

Despite acknowledging Cunha’s apology as “sincere,” the commission expressed scepticism over his version of events. They described his account as “implausible,” highlighting that video footage did not corroborate any signs of provocation from the Ipswich staff member. Nevertheless, the panel decided that the apology, combined with Cunha’s gesture to replace the glasses, warranted some leniency. Consequently, his suspension was reduced from three matches to two, and his fine was lowered to £80,000. The commission dismissed an appeal from Wolves to reduce the ban further.

“[The commission] did not accept WWFC’s argument that it should take account of the fact that the ITFC security personnel were overly aggressive and contributed to the atmosphere of hostility,” the written reasons state.

“Even if that were the case, which the Commission did not accept, it did not amount to mitigation for [Cunha’s] actions. Taking all of these factors into account, the Commission decided to reduce the suspension by one match [to two matches].”

Cunha’s suspension ruled him out of Wolves’ 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Monday night, and he is set to miss the upcoming FA Cup clash against Bristol City on Saturday. He will be back in action against Newcastle on January 15 in a Premier League encounter.