And it was the combination of the two that created the conditions for Cauã Terroso, a massive Brazilian Manchester City fan, to see up close the trophies we took to Brazil.
Last January, City travelled to Brazil for the first stop of the Treble Trophy Tour in 2024.
The Club’s objective is to give fans a chance to be closer to the trophies that were conquered in the previous year. In 2023, the Treble Trophy Tour visited more than 15 countries all around the world.
It was also the first time that the Club World Cup trophy, the one that is so desired by Brazilian teams, went along with the other four in the Tour.
Pep Guardiola’s side had won the trophy a month earlier, beating Fluminense 4-0 in the tournament held in Saudi Arabia.
So, for 5 days, the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Super Cup and FIFA World Cup visited the cities of Salvador and São Paulo.
Cauã was counting the days for the tour to arrive in Brazil, but he knew that, due to the country’s continental dimensions, he lived far from any of the two both cities where the trophies would be displayed.
Born in Rio Grande, in the Rio Grande do Sul state, Cauã moved at the age of 3 to Itajai, a city on the coast of another state, Santa Catarina. It was a family choice, as his father, fisherman Sandro, saw a better job opportunity there.
His mother, Lisandra, an elementary school teacher, agreed, and the family of four went on: the father, the mother, Cauã and his twin brother, Luã.
A challenging life
But the life of 26-year-old Cauã, whether in Rio Grande or Itajaí, has always been one of many struggles.
He was born with hydrocephalus, a neurological disease where cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles. Cauã said that, as his mother was pregnant with twins and he was the second one to be born, the waiting inside the mother’s womb caused a lack of oxygenation and excess fluid in the brain. His twin brother does not suffer from the condition.
This caused Cauã several movement problems. The movements of his legs and arms are very limited. Even after several surgeries on his head, legs, hips and back, he needs a wheelchair to get around.
Passion for city
Cauã has been an unconditional Blues supporter for 13 years. “It all started with video games, then news, [Elano] helped a lot and so this grew, little by little, and I became this crazy person,” he said.
Cauã follows all the matches, the results, celebrates City’s achievements and gets into ‘friendly discussions’ with his twin brother, Luã, who supports Manchester United.
let’s go to sampa by any means possible!
The incentive to face the journey came from Cauã’s friends. They all met through Cityzens BR, the official supporters of City in Brazil.
Due to the Cauã’s delicate condition, the initial idea would be to travel to ‘Sampa’ (the way people nicknamed Sao Paulo in Brazil), by plane.
Lucas Souto, president of Cityzens BR, said he already had the everything planned. “When City won the Treble, I said ‘man, the silverware are going to come, and I’ll bring you [to Sao Paulo]’”.
But a series of personal and financial problems over the year, including some close to the date of the trip, made it impossible for the Supporters’ Club to cover the costs of the ticket.
“We did calculations and a lot of things, and everything went wrong”, laments Lucas.
Nevertheless, Cauã was really determined. Nothing would be an impediment for him. If City’s silverware were in Brazil, the dream was still alive.
The only available option was for Cauã to pay for both bus and hotel in Sao Paulo with his own money. Since he was unemployed, he used the last few reserves he had and even needed to borrow some money from relatives.
The distance between Itajai and Sao Paulo is more than 600 kilometres. It is like if someone in England decides to cross the country and drives from London to Dunbar in Scotland.
It would be hours and hours on the bus, which would mean a great amount of suffering for Cauã. To make the journey even more difficult, the vehicle was not adapted for wheelchair users. This demanded from the fan an obligation to travel with a companion.
That’s when another friend, Wilian Barros, joined the story. The colleague, who worked with Cauã in the past, skipped a few workdays to ensure the trip took place.
Wilian understood the size of the challenge. “I had to carry Cauã on and off the bus, move him to his seat, help him to stand up to use the toilet.”
But he guarantees that the physical effort was irrelevant compared to the satisfaction of ensuring that Itajai supporter safely arrives at the place where the trophies were being displayed. “We are friends and we have built a very strong bond. I have Cauã as a brother to me,” he said.
Both embarked at 11:00 on Thursday 11 January. During the pauses the bus did at gas stations along the way, Cauã was unable to get off like the other passengers.
He avoided drinking water and did not eat anything during the journey. “[The journey was] around 13 hours of travel. [We also witnessed] an accident [on the road] and it took longer”, summed up Cauã.
The friends arrived in Sao Paulo around 13:00 on Friday. They headed straight from the bus station to the Manchester City event venue.
But the struggle continued. It was not only a very rainy day in Sao Paulo, but the app-based car ride cancelled several orders from then once they were informed they would have to carry a wheelchair user.
face to face with the “big Five”
Finally, the duo arrived at Beach Arena Real Parque, where the trophies were being displayed. The other members of Cityzens BR greeted Caua and carried him and his wheelchair up the stairs.
From then on, Caua was a sum of emotion and excitement. “I started crying. It was spontaneous. I looked to my side and there was Elano and then I couldn’t hold back.”
That’s right, City legend Elano Blumer was one of the first to greet Caua. He presented the supporter with a signed City shirt. The away white kit was exactly the one Caua was thinking in buying for him. “God was saving her for you,” said Elano.
Cauã took lots of photos with the star and posed in front of the trophies with his friends. But his eyes really lit up when he saw the ‘Big Ears’.
“The Champions League has always been my object of desire. I’ve already picked a few fights because of it and today I’m here seeing it up close. It’s surreal.”
He also spent a long period admiring City’s latest trophy, the Club World Cup.
“It was a really good feeling [to have Cauã with us]”, said Lucas, who together with his friends, was impressed with Cauã’s courage and ability to overcome all difficulties.
Amid so much happiness, Caua ended up forgetting to tell his mother that he had arrived safely.
This was quickly solved with a video recorded by Manchester City’s content production team, where he was able to make Ms Terroso’s heart rest at ease: “Mom, I’m alive, I am speechless, but everything is fine. I’m here with Elano, the City guys, and that’s it”, said Caua.
Elano further reinforced: “Hey mom, we’re here and we’re fine!”
the real reason behind Treble trophy tour
During the following day’s event, Cauã was given a special seat near Elano to watch City’s 3-2 victory against Newcastle in the Premier League.
The fan also opened his heart: “What City is doing [taking the trophies all around the world] is great. We must value this.”
Cauã said that the return trip to Itajai was not as difficult as the Sao Paulo one. He had his dream fulfilled. And one of City’s most loyal fans in Brazil proved that the challenges life put in front of you are small when your passion speaks louder.
“Believe in it, fight for it, make as much effort as possible and don’t give up. It is worth it. Come on, City!”
