Mario Zagallo, who won two FIFA World Cups as a player, one as a coach and another as an assistant coach for Brazil, has died.
He was 92.
The first person to win the World Cup as a player and a manager, Zagallo is for many Brazilian soccer fans synonymous with patriotism, grit and glory.
Photo: AP
Brazilian soccer confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement in the early hours of yesterday confirming Zagallo’s death that he “is one of the biggest legends” of the sport.
No cause of death was released by the federation or Zagallo’s family.
“We offer solidarity to his family members and fans in this moment of grief for the departure of this great hero of our soccer,” Rodrigues said.
Photo: AP
Several Brazilian clubs where Zagallo played and coached also expressed their sorrow for his death.
Zagallo’s social media channels called him “a dedicated father, a loving grandfather, a caring father-in-law, a loyal friend, a victorious professional and a great human being.”
“A gigantic hero. A patriot that leaves us a legacy of great achievements,” the text added.
One of the most charismatic and superstitious figures in Brazilian soccer, he also was known for his fondness of the number 13 and constant use of the phrase: “You will have to put up with me” — voiced loudly at critics.
He said 13 was his lucky number because it carries the last two digits of his birth year: 1931. He always highlighted any link, however coincidental, between 13 and his successes in the sport.
Zagallo played a role in nearly every major chapter in Brazilian soccer history, from their first World Cup title in 1958 to the tournament the nation hosted in 2014.
Former Brazil coach Tite visited him to hear his advice before taking the team to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
He was Brazil’s forward when they won the World Cup in 1958 in Sweden and 1962 in Chile, and one of the first players to act as a false winger, playing between midfielders and strikers.
Zagallo stopped playing professionally in 1965 and began his coaching career with Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo the following year.
Named national team coach in 1970, just before the World Cup in Mexico, he inherited a squad who included Pele, Jairzinho, Gerson, Roberto Rivellino and Tostao.
Brazil crushed Italy 4-1 in the final, becoming the first three-time champions.
He also coached Brazil in 1974, but without Pele, the team finished in fourth place.
Zagallo was assistant coach to Carlos Alberto Parreira when Brazil won the 1994 World Cup in the US, again beating Italy in the final.
And he was back at the helm four years later for the World Cup in France, when Brazil lost 3-0 to the hosts in a final marked by striker Ronaldo’s unexplained convulsions before the game.
Zagallo was criticized for letting Ronaldo play.
“He was cleared to play by the doctors,” Zagallo said. “Anyone in my position would have done the same thing. I wasn’t going to be the one keeping him from playing in a World Cup final.”
His final coaching role with the national team was as Parreira’s assistant in 2006.
Brazil were a pre-tournament favorite to win their sixth World Cup title in Germany, but the squad led by Ronaldinho, Kaka, Ronaldo and Adriano fell to France in the quarter-finals.
Zagallo was one of the few coaches who had successful coaching stints with all four traditional Rio clubs — Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama.
He began his career as a striker with Rio’s America and later also played for Flamengo and Botafogo, one of the few Brazilian clubs to rival Pele’s Santos in the 1960s.
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