During pre-season training in Korea, Nunes was interviewed by The Athletic and other media outlets. In the latter half of the interview, he discussed his adaptation to playing right-back and his thoughts on Guardiola, Bernardo Silva, and Stones leaving.

In the second half of the 2024-25 season, you had limited playing opportunities, and even when you did play, it wasn't in your comfortable position. Things only started to improve after the Club World Cup.
"For example, if I played one game, I would sit on the bench for five games, and then play as a full-back for a total of six months. But I only played maybe 10 or 15 games. I didn't get the stability I wanted, couldn't truly adapt to the position, and couldn't change my mindset."
"I think at the Club World Cup, I played very well as a full-back, so my mindset started to change. I thought: 'Oh, I can actually play well in this position', because if you look at those games, like the Club World Cup games, and other games, I remember offensively, I played very far forward, like a number 10 or number 8, able to get into the box."
"Playing as a full-back at Manchester City, the offensive aspect plays a very important role. And defense is what I need to learn the most. I feel like the Club World Cup made me feel most at ease, or rather, I started to change my mindset."
"Because I realized: 'Oh, I can actually play well, and do some things I used to do when I played in midfield', like crossing, assisting, bursting into the box. Yes, I feel like some things might be different from when I played in midfield, but not by much. Maybe that's why I started to change my mindset."
Later, your performance was so outstanding that fans online nicknamed you "Caffunes".
"It actually started with Bernardo Silva. When I played winger, he called me Henry. Later, when I played full-back, he called me Cafu. Different people in the club gave me different nicknames, and my friends started calling me that too, so I just had to accept it."
Gvardiol said in a pre-season interview that you are the joker of the team.
"That's why Stones and I clicked so well. He's always been a prankster, and when I arrived, he found out I was the same. He, Bernardo Silva, and I – I think the three of us are the jokers of the team. Laughter is always good; if there's no laughter in life, what's the point? These are the people you spend most of your day with – you spend more time with them than with your family."
"Sometimes you get tired of seeing them so often, and if there's not a good working environment, there's no point in being there. You definitely don't want to work in a place with a bad atmosphere. I just try to do that – try to make myself happy. I'm just being myself, and sometimes it turns into being a joker."
This summer, Bernardo Silva and Stones both left the club.
"Their departure is huge. Everyone knows they've won everything and participated in all the games over the past 10 years. They are two of my best friends, along with Ake. Their departure will be a huge loss. The people who left the club over the past two years are all people I have very good relationships with."
"We will miss them very much, not just on the field. I like talking to them off the field – you don't know what kind of people they are when you're not at the club. I will miss the daily interactions, having breakfast together, and teasing Stones in the morning."
What was it like in the last few days of last season when Guardiola announced he was leaving?
"It was so unexpected. We had felt before that he might leave, but no one could say for sure until he said it himself. He told us in the auditorium, and the atmosphere that day was very moving. Many people cried; it was really hard to say goodbye to someone who has given so much to all of us. He brought the club to a height that seemed unattainable."
"Everything he has done is incredible. It's really hard to put into words. I remember that day, when the images started appearing one by one on the screen, I realized he was really leaving. Everything felt so unreal."
"That feeling was strange and awkward. I had to accept the fact that many things would change. I had never been at the club without him. Goodbyes are never easy."
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Guardiola
Ake
Stones
Bernardo Silva
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Matheus Nunes
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