Former youth training coach: Cunia has a far better cognitive ability than others, and he is also a leader with balanced feet.

August 19th, in the first round of the new season, Manchester United lost to Arsenal 0-1 at Old Trafford, but two new players, Cunha and Mbemo, performed well. Theathletic reveals Cunia’s upbringing in Brazil.

In Recife, northeastern Brazil, the CTBarao youth training camp founded by Barao Xavier has been in operation for 16 years, training players such as Portugal international Otavio, Olympic gold medalist Nino. Of course, Cunha is the most famous one, now he is a member of Manchester United. In the first round of the Premier League season, Xavier specially organized young players from the youth training camp to watch Cunha's debut in the Premier League at Manchester United.

Cunya grew up in João Pessoa, two hours away from Recife. She played football with her father since childhood and later joined the local indoor five-a-side football team. Xavier was a scout at the Santa Cruz Club at the time and discovered Cunha’s potential. When Shexavel left Santa Cruz to set up his own doorstep, he found Cunia’s parents and signed the young Cunia. Xavier immediately realized that he had a genius. "Cunya is far ahead of others in cognitive ability, he has a balanced left and right foot ability and is also a leader," Sheval said in an interview earlier this year.

CTBarao currently has about 150 registered students, and CTBarao coaches from U7 to U19. Usually, there are five training sessions per age group each week, two on indoor courts, three on outdoor courts, and one more game on weekends. Cunia only trains twice a week because his parents don’t want him to leave his hometown school.

When watching the game, Xavier sat around him, and many of his family were wearing bright training suits. Xavier has four daughters, three of whom are physical education teachers, and also coaches at CTBarao. His wife works in school and will help. It's a real family career and the whole atmosphere is full of warmth.

Cunya came here at the age of nine and did not leave until she was fourteen, joining the historic Coritiba Club in southern Brazil. Xavier believes that young players can develop better in this slightly unconventional environment. He said: "When you work responsibly, players may develop better than in big clubs. Big clubs may limit young people, and we try to broaden their horizons. They play both indoor futs and eleven soccer, so they can adapt to various venues."

In addition, this environment also cultivates a sense of community and social responsibility. Children in impoverished communities can train here for free, and Xavier and his family also often provide food to hospitals, schools and slums, experiences that children in glamorous youth camps cannot experience.

Xavier said: "We are not in a hurry to achieve success, we do not require the trophy to win, we only require the right attitude, both on and off the court. Even if some families have pressure, they will not face the pressure of fans like they do in big clubs. Therefore, when my players join a bigger team, they are more mature and prepared."

Cunha's performance against Arsenal attracted the attention of the children. Despite Arsenal's first goal, Cunha performed well in the second half, especially after the position adjustment. Xavier explained: "When Cunnia is at the back, he can better deliver shells to the team."

Although Manchester United failed to break through Arsenal's defense in the end, most people thought Cunnia's performance was satisfactory. "Cunha performed well, I think he will succeed at Manchester United and hope he can win some trophys," said the young goalkeeper Gabriel Noah. After the match, Xavier and his daughters quickly packed up the scene and prepared for the afternoon U19 game. Xavier is a dynamic figure in the local football world and any parent will feel lucky to meet him. Cunya’s success story inspires every child here to believe that dreams are fulfilled.