‘Malaysia gave me the chance’: Paulo Josué on finding a new home and a new national team

Paulo Josué arrived in Kuala Lumpur in 2017 expecting an opportunity, not a new identity. The Brazilian attacking midfielder chose a second-division club, helped it win promotion and stayed as Kuala Lumpur City rose from the second tier to a Malaysia Cup triumph and the AFC Cup final.

The years changed his place in Malaysia. Josué became KL City’s captain, obtained Malaysian citizenship and earned the international career he once imagined only in Brazil. At 37, he studies selection announcements anxiously and treats every call-up as proof that football has given him more than he expected.

Speaking to Ryan Walters on Tunnel Vision, Josué discusses facing Son Heung-min, why Arif Aiman belongs in Europe and what television hides about the professional game. He also reflects on the wife and father who sustained his career, a missed pass that might have changed history and why he hopes “injury time” lasts longer.

Editor’s note: Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How did a move to Malaysia become nearly a decade with Kuala Lumpur City?

I knew little about Malaysian football. A former teammate joined Selangor in 2015 and told me the league and salaries were good, so I had some idea of the country.

Later, a Brazilian coach I knew from Dubai moved to Malaysia and contacted my agent. There was an opportunity with a Super League club and another with KL in the second division. My ego said, “I am a Super League player.” My agent explained that the division mattered less than choosing the right opportunity.

He said Kuala Lumpur was a good city and I could help the team win promotion, show myself and perhaps renew my contract. We won the Premier League, I signed for another two years and now I am discussing almost ten years here. I never imagined staying this long. Had I known, I would have bought property while prices were lower.

What has representing Malaysia meant to you?

My debut in Johor remains my proudest moment. International football has a different pace and rhythm, and being able to play at the Asian Cup was also very special.

I still become anxious whenever a squad list is released because the coaches do not tell you in advance whether you are in. I have been called up consistently since my debut, but I am getting older and know the moment may come when a coach no longer selects me. Until then, every camp gives me another reason to feel proud. You are being chosen among the best players in a country.

My childhood dream was to represent Brazil, but Neymar was much better than me, so they did not call. I moved away and Malaysia gave me the chance to contribute something here instead.

Who is the best player you have faced?

Son Heung-min, when Malaysia played South Korea at the Asian Cup. Watching him from close range showed why the gap between players at that level and the rest of us is so large.

Everything was almost perfect: his movement, control, running, awareness of teammates and the weight of every pass. Even the way he prepared and concentrated before taking a penalty stood out. Footballers understand how difficult it is to receive one kind of pass and deliver the next ball in exactly the way your teammate needs. Son made those details look natural.

Which Malaysian players deserve a larger stage?

Bergson deserved more opportunities at major clubs in Brazil, and perhaps in Europe. He had a good reputation there, so I was surprised when he moved to Johor. He has earned respect at JDT, but with better luck his career might have reached another level.

Arif Aiman should also try Europe. He is a machine: fast, skilful and capable of scoring goals. Those are qualities European teams want. I understand that he is happy at Johor and it must be his decision, but he is good enough to test himself there.

What defines a “Paulo-type player”?

I hate talking about my own qualities, so you should ask my teammates. But perhaps a classical number 10: head up, good technique and control, a strong pass, dangerous free-kicks and set-pieces, and somebody who does not lose the ball easily.

I have also always had a habit of scoring. I was never really a striker or winger. I was an attacking midfielder involved in building the game, but I found ways to arrive around the penalty area. Sometimes the ball comes to you and your job is simply to put your foot there and score.

What is the biggest misconception about professional football?

People watch from the sofa and think everything looks easy. They can see the space on television and ask why a player did not make a certain pass or how a professional could miss a chance.

They do not feel all the factors involved: training, sleep, physical and psychological condition, the weather, the pitch and even a slightly flat ball. A wet ball on soft ground can completely change a finish.

The opponent may also begin in a different system from the one you prepared for. You have to recognise it quickly and adjust while the match continues. Perhaps a full-back is pressing higher than expected, so you attack the space behind him. Those decisions are immediate. Television cannot show how difficult that is.

Is there one moment you would return to and change?

I have nothing to regret. I have been beaten many times, but I always tried again. That is how football works.

Perhaps I could return to the 2022 AFC Cup final and change the pass I missed to Zhafri Yahya. If he had scored, we could have led 1-0, dropped our lines, parked the bus and perhaps celebrated an international title with KL City.

But I do not spend much time thinking about it. It happened and belongs to the past. I prefer looking forward.

If your career were a 90-minute match, where are you now?

Probably somewhere between the 85th and 89th minute. I hope there are many VAR checks so the referee adds another 15 minutes.

Everything after this is a blessing. I have no major injuries, I can still run and I can still contribute to the club. I am not the same player I was ten years ago, but I feel good and want injury time to last as long as possible.

My wife would walk beside me into my dream World Cup final. She has been running alongside me for 15 years, leaving our small town in Brazil and giving up many things to follow this career. She is not obsessed with football, which helps. When I return home, she does not ask why I missed a pass.

My father has followed every match from Brazil and called afterwards to discuss the team. My wife shares the life; my father remains the football critic. That balance has carried me a long way.