Mario Zagallo has died at the age of 92. The legend of Brazilian football and the only four-time world champion as a player and then as a coach, passed away on Friday. The announcement appeared on the official Instagram profile of the former footballer. The news is learned from his official Instagram account.
"It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of our eternal four-time world champion Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo", reads a brief statement published on the social network. "A devoted father, loving grandfather, caring father-in-law, faithful friend, victorious professional and a great human being. Giant idol. A patriot who leaves us a legacy of great achievements. We thank God for the time we were able to live with you and we ask the Father to find comfort in the beautiful memories and the great example that you leave us".
Zagallo's career
Nicknamed 'The Professor', Zagallo also played a fundamental role in four of the five world titles won by the Seleçao. As a player, he won two trophies: in 1958 in Sweden and in 1962 in Chile. On the bench, he then led the Brazilian national team to the supreme title in 1970 in Mexico and was assistant coach during the coronation of 1994 in the United States. He was again coach in 1998, when Ronaldo's Brazil lost 3-0 at the Stade de France against the Blues of captain Didier Deschamps. Only the legendary German Franz Beckenbauer (1974 as a player and 1990 as a coach) and Deschamps, after the coronation of the Blues in Russia in 2018, managed to imitate him. Zagallo, whose statue stands in front of the Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro, has little exported his talent. Only for the lucrative sirens of the Gulf, between 1976 and 1978 at the helm of Kuwait, then in 1989-90 with the United Arab Emirates with which he qualified for the only World Cup, disputed without him, expelled before the tournament for bonus stories. Born on August 9, 1931 in Maceió, in northeastern Brazil, from a family of Lebanese and Italian origin, Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo began his career in 1948 with the modest club America of Rio, then he played eight seasons with Flamengo and seven with Botafogo. Very skilful left-handed, he fiercely defended a striker. He became international in May 1958, before winning his first Jules Rimet trophy at the age of 27 with his glorious teammates Pelé, Garrincha, Didi and Vava 5-2 against Sweden, the host country. Zagallo scored the fourth goal, before making the assist to Pelé for the fifth. "Zagallo is like a brother to me. When we arrived in Sweden for the 1958 World Cup I was 17 years old and was the youngest member of the team, and Zagallo together with Zito and Gilmar told me to take under their protection", Pelé declared in August 2013 on the occasion of Zagallo's 82nd birthday. Very superstitious, Zagallo had an unshakeable confidence in the number 13 that adorned his shirt. He married his wife on June 13, lived on the 13th floor, drove his car with license plate 13. And he said he regretted that the 1998 final was played on July 12. Zagallo hung up his boots in June 1964 before starting to coach two years later, mainly in Brazil (Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, Portuguesa or Vasco da Gama). Coach of the Verdeoro during the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, he led Brazil to the third world title with Pelé, Jairzinho, Tostao, Gerson and Carlos Alberto. Tactical genius, he was the first to set up a 5-3-2 capable of transforming into a 3-5-2 in attack. He left the Seleçao for the first time after the fourth place at the 1974 World Cup and was recalled in 1994 as assistant to Carlos Alberto Parreira during the fourth coronation of the Seleçao. He replaced Parreira until the final of 1998 in France, where Zinedine Zidane's team deprived him of the title. Recalled in 2003 to prepare as technical coordinator the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he definitively ended his career when Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals against France (1-0), once again defeated by Zidane.
This article is automatically translated