A child named like a Greek philosopher stands motionless at the scene in which his father is destroying the most precious of his treasures: his books. Knowing the secrets behind those books and understanding the thinking of men became the engine of a young man who found in football the perfect setting to mix sport and ideas; joy and social commitment. This is the story of Socrates, the footballer who scored a country on and off the court.
1982: Socrates and the last exponents of the Jogo Bonito.
Football is an artistic manifestation and Socrates always understood it that way. He saw himself as a different, creative person. Just like a painter who uses his inspiration to paint a work of art, Socrates used his inspiration to create a play. He understood that football was a part of Brazilian culture. "Football is for Brazil, what great artists were for the world. You have to take care of it and play it beautiful", he said. The truth is that Socrates did not tolerate a second of bad football.
The 1982 World Cup in Spain was coming and Brazil was the favorite. In that Brazilian National Team there was a lot of talent that is not found today. Zico, Socrates, Falcao, Junior, Leandro, Toninho Cerezo; all players able to think and speak very well, players with clear ideas. Making an analogy between a football team and a rock band: that Brazil of 1982 were the Beatles of football. What made this team special was the great amount of innate talent that it had.
If we had to use a single word to describe that Brazil, it would be "magic". It was the perfect union between a genius coach (Tele Santana) and just great players. They showed the world a beautiful football, of art, of choreography, of group, of generosity, of spectacle, offensive; a football that everyone liked to watch, where they always played to score goals and more goals. Brazil, with Socrates as captain, had no rival who could face his Jogo Bonito. After devastating in the first phase of that World Cup and playing as they played, for all Brazil was already world champion.
Unfortunately, came the match against Italy in the Sarrià Stadium in Barcelona, for the second phase of the World Cup. Italy, who had come from three consecutive draws showing a very defensive style and little showy, had to face Brazil who was the virtual world champion, but for Italy there is nothing impossible.
Italy went up with a goal from Paolo Rossi, but Socrates quickly tied the score. A draw favored Brazil and gave the pass to the semifinals, but they continued to play the attack as if they were losing the game. The truth is that that team did not know how to play otherwise than offensively. This was how Brazil always went to attack, while Italy waited in the background, solid defensively as always, but being deadly on counterattack; until the match ended 3-2 in favor of the Italians who won the ticket to the semifinals of the World Cup.
That day, known as "Tragedy of Sarrià", marked a before and after in the history of football; it was the death of soccer art, of that Jogo Bonito that had dazzled its own and strangers. The way of playing football in the world changed, because a new philosophy was implemented: "Why play beautiful and lose? It's better to play ugly and win"; it was the victory of the result over the Jogo Bonito, which was born with the defeat of that Brazil of 1982.
Something in Brazil also changed that day, opting for pragmatism, for pro-football. Sure, then Brazil won two World Cups that way; but the truth is that no one dreams of Brazil in '94 or 2002. Winning by playing anyway does not matter, it leaves nothing behind and nobody remembers it. The truth is that people remember Brazil more than '82, which lost playing sublime football; that the '94 that was crowned world champion, but that meant nothing to the country and did not contribute anything to their football.
The European sadness of Socrates.
He spent the 1982 World Cup and several teams were interested in Socrates, there was no way to stay in Brazil. He knew that leaving Brazil and earning large amounts of money was not going to bring him happiness. Finally it was Fiorentina who ended up paying 3 million euros to take Socrates to Italy in 1984.
It was a bad experience for him. Florence was a very conservative, elitized city, where people look over their shoulders. Between Florence and Socrates a great conflict was generated, it was something incompatible. His convictions of freedom, of changing the system clashed with a conservative political and social universe. He passed from the Corinthian Democracy, where he was involved, where he had leadership and where he conquered a series of things together; to play in Fiorentina where the team was divided into groups.
For Socrates, he was very strong because there was a mentality conflict. He wanted to play football the way he wanted, not like the others wanted him to play. He did not adapt because the Italian player was simply used to rhythms and hardships that he did not understand. For them, football was a job, not fun.
When he began to feel uncomfortable and imprisoned within a rigid scheme playing in Italy, something inside him broke down. The memory of Socrates in Florence is that of a sad person, who wanted to go home. In Italy he was a lonely deep and it hurt because he was far from his neighborhood, away from his family, away from his friends, away from the heat of the Brazilian fan, far from the country that I adore so much. The truth is that he was unable to live outside of Brazil.
Socrates only played one season in Italy and immediately returned to Brazil, but now to Rio de Janeiro with the Flamengo shirt. But he had to face a column operation and that great football player, that ball artist was never the same again. It was time to hang up the boots for Socrates and think about the difficult life after football.
The sunset of the "Doctor".
After the retirement he decided to practice medicine again. "The doctor" even opened a private sports clinic, but medicine did not generate as much passion as football did. Then he decided that he would be a singer, but he had a horrible voice. He also decided to be a tennis player, but this did not fill him either. He did so many things because he did not know how to fill that void.
In his last years he was concerned not to do, but to know. He liked being prepared for any conversation, for a debate; He was a completely political being, provocative and questioning. I was looking for an exchange of ideas to find the common good. He was involved in all the political movements of the country in the years to come from the end of the dictatorship. He never had official positions in the government, but he always collaborated and was heard as an important adviser, the truth is that many social changes in Brazil were his ideas.
Regrettably and like all the great geniuses, we get the feeling that the great Socrates lacked time in this world, which still had a lot to teach us. The lifestyle carefree and full of vices that led from his youth would end up taking its toll on the "Doctor". He knew what his final destiny would be, but he never really cared. He never worried about death, he just wanted to live intensely every day of his life. He did not conceive the idea of a life with limitations, he thought that this was not worth it. All this caused that his state of health was continually compromised due to the liver cirrhosis that he developed in the last stage of his life.
Finally Sócrates died at 57 years of age due to a septic shock that could not overcome, product of the same cirrhosis. He died on Sunday, December 4, 2011 with Corinthians crowned champion that same afternoon, as he always wanted. Socrates always left the image of a decent man, good people, someone you'd like to have as a friend. He fulfilled his mission, spoke of his convictions, left his speeches and his stories. He was a person who never abandoned utopia, lived in his own way. He had the need to be honest with himself, he was always consistent with his ideas and convictions.
Today, greetings, we greet you, Illustrious Doctor, with your fist raised as you used to. The world of football thanks you for reminding us that this is a beautiful sport that must be cared for and played in a spectacular way. The Brazilian people thank you for giving voice to millions of people when they needed it most and for teaching them that a better future is always possible. Thank you for the changes you implemented, for the thoughts you left, for the goals you gave us, for your immense love for the people, for bringing hope, for being as you were and living as you lived.
"Be how you are, dream a lot and mainly make people dreams" - Socrates
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