″ We see this in the number of foreign players who choose Portugal ″
“Fast player, vertical and with the objective of helping the team”, this was how the Torreense winger learned. Overcome yet another injury, Júlia Mateus dealt with a “challenging” time
In her first season at Torreense, Júlia Mateus was satisfied with the change. In the future, she aspires to “play abroad” and be called to the “A Selection”.
From Amora to Torres Vedras, how is the season going?
-On a personal level it’s been challenging due to the injury I recently had, but I feel a lot of ambition to reach my best level and grow with this team. At the collective level it’s been a very interesting time. We are growing and, step by step, we are going to get where we want.
The team reached a stage of qualifying as a champion and started with a victory. What can you expect from Torreense?
– You can expect a team that will fight to win every game.
Seen from the inside, how do you highlight the squad?
– We are a very hardworking and dedicated group, both in training and in games. A very representative characteristic of this team is being united. Throughout my recovery process, they have been a fundamental help and I am so proud to be a part of this incredible group.
Individually, what is Julia Mateus like?
– A fast, vertical player with the primary objective of helping the team with assists or goals.
As I said earlier, there was a recent injury. Was it a very delicate process?
– I was injured in a move where I tried to cut the ball inside my penalty area and, when I collided with an opponent, I misplaced my support foot and hurt myself. It was a very hard process, because I already knew what I would have to do to make a good recovery from an identical injury suffered in 2018. I have always had very strong family support, which I need to get through this phase, and I only have a thank you to each of these people. The return was a very cautious process, but long awaited.
When did this passion for football arise?
– It came about through my brothers, when we were going to play on the weekends in a field next to our house with our friends.
Before wearing the Torreense shirt, he went through other emblems. Did any of them mark her?
– I would say that the team that has influenced me the most until today was Clube Albergaria, I feel that I grew a lot there as a player. Although it was only a season, due to the appearance of covid-19, I took many positive aspects. On a more personal level, it was quite remarkable, as I scored my first goal in the BPI League for Clube Albergaria.
In between, there was also a call to the youth teams of the National Team. What did it feel like?
– It is an incredible feeling to reach this level and defender as the nuclei of our country. It’s an immense pride.
What goals do you have defined for the future?
– My ambition is to one day play abroad and be international A for Portugal.
Finally, do you agree that women’s football in Portugal has grown in recent years?
– Teams have a fundamental role in the growth of women’s football in Portugal. Losing has been growing gradually and we can even see this due to the number of foreign players who choose for the Portuguese championship.
“My sister as a reference”
Football is an old passion, but, more than that, it is a passion shared by the family, especially by sister Tânia Mateus (pictured), a Marítimo forward. On the field they are adversaries, but off the field, the blood bond speaks louder. “There is only rivalry on the field because we play in different teams, because I can’t see her that way, she’s my greatest partner”, explained the winger, stressing that her sister is the “greatest reference”. “I like our players a lot, but I think I’ve reached a stage in my life where I see, and in reality I’ve always seen, my sister as a reference,” he said.