Compartilhar:
Former soccer player Nilton Santos dies in Rio de Janeiro
Criado em 27/11/13 19h35
e atualizado em 27/11/13 19h47
Por Paulo Virgilio
Fonte:Agência Brasil
Rio de Janeiro – Former player Nilton Santos, who played for the country’s side in the 1950, 1954, 1958 and 1962 World Cups died at 3:50 p.m. this Wednesday (Nov. 27), aged 88, at Bela Lopes Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for a lung infection. Nilton Santos, who, apart from Brazil’s national team, played also for Botafogo, had been struggling with Alzheimer’s for years.
Known as “the soccer encyclopedia” for his great knowledge of the sport, and having become a world champion twice – in ‘58 and ‘62 – Santos was termed by Fifa in 2000 the best winger of all times. He played in 84 matches for Brazil, scoring three goals.
An idol in Botafogo, he was also the athlete who played in the largest number of matches for the club: 723 games, over a period of 16 years. Born in the district of Ilha do Governador, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, on May 16, 1925, Nilton Santos started his career in 1948, playing for the aforementioned club – which today pays a tribute to him with a statue placed right outside its headquarters, on General Severiano Street, in Rio de Janeiro.
Botafogo expressed its condolences for the idol’s demise. “Admired as much as Garrincha, respected as much as Pelé – accomplished and skillful, Nilton Santos went beyond what one expects from the greatest winger in the history of world soccer. After being called ‘the soccer encyclopedia’, his ability to delight soccer fans allowed him to achieve well-deserved and everlasting recognition,” reads a statement released by the club.
According to a text published on the club’s website, his strong defensive skills were one of his fortes as a player. However, “with his strategic attitude, he became a forerunner to all offensive-oriented wingers, as he scored a goal against Austria in the 1958 World Cup – not an everyday occurrence at the time, when wingers were only expected to act as a corner defender. His role in the match was key to the performance of both Botafogo and Brazil; however, it was outside the stadium he scored his most impressive goal: after facing Mané Garrincha during practice, Nilton Santos nearly forced Botafogo into hiring him, who had never been heard of before, as a right corner.”
Edited by Nádia Franco
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Deixe seu comentário