Brazilian Football Legend Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo: His Impact on Flamengo and Football in Rio de Janeiro

Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo died last Friday as an idol of Brazil. But the extensive legacy of the Old Wolf, as he became affectionately known, is very mixed with the history of Flamengothe club where he took the first steps of his successful career as a player and later returned as a coach.

Mourning: Zagallo leaves a special legacy for football in Rio de Janeiro

Raised in Tijuca, a neighborhood in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Zagallo was a regular at América and, in addition to football, he excelled at table tennis. It was on the America field that Zagallo started playing football, but in 1950, he transferred to Flamengo in the youth category.

1 of 9 Zagallo (the first crouching from right to left) at Flamengo in 1957 — Photo: Agência Estado Zagallo (the first crouching from right to left) at Flamengo in 1957 — Photo: Agência Estado

It was in Gávea that he began to dedicate himself to sport as a profession. Zagallo’s first professional contract was with Rubro-Negro, and the first game was on April 29, 1951: a friendly against Goytacaz that ended in victory for Zagallo. Flamengo by 6 to 0. The spell lasted until 1958. There were: 218 games (with 135 wins, 41 draws and 42 defeats) and 26 goals.

2. Door to Selection

Success in Flamengo This was what led Zagallo to the national team for the first time and to play in the World Cup in 1958. The skilled left winger, who was present in midfield and had mobility as his main characteristic, established himself as a starter in the World Cup in Sweden.

2 of 9 Zagallo emotional after the World Cup title in ’58 — Photo: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Zagallo emotional after the World Cup title in ’58 — Photo: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty

This was Zagallo’s first title for the Brazilian team. Later, Velho Lobo also won the 1962 World Cup as a player, the 1970 World Cup as a coach and was coordinator in 1994. He is the only four-time world champion in the history of football.

3. Pioneer in recomposition

Zagallo is considered the pioneer among strikers who return to help the defense with marking. And he started to have this characteristic in the Flamengo. In the 50s, the coach was Paraguayan hardliner Fleitas Solich, who demanded that the left winger return to help left-back Jordan in marking. The Old Wolf repeated his role in the 1958 World Cup and made his contribution to the title.

3 of 9 Zagallo tired after a game for Flamengo — Photo: Archive Zagallo tired after a game for Flamengo — Photo: Archive

4. Two of the six third championships

O Flamengo There are six three-time Rio championships in history, and two of them were with Zagallo. One as a player, when the left winger was on the champion team in 1952, 1953 and 1954. This was the second three-time championship in red and black history (the first was in 1942, 1943 and 1944).

4 of 9 Flamengo team from the tri in 2001 — Photo: Reproduction Flamengo team from the tri in 2001 — Photo: Reproduction

Interestingly, as a coach, Zagallo once again participated in Rio’s third title. He was not at the club during the 1999 and 2000 conquests, but returned to win the 2001 state title and complete the fourth quarter run in red-black history.

5. “Pet’s goal” coach

“The tri with Pet’s goal was a true World Cup”, This is how Zagallo defined Rio’s third championship in 2001 at the helm of Flamengo. Years later, in the documentary of the achievement, he declared: “I was at Pet’s feet. I was rooting like never before for that ball to go in. Only that ball with Pet could achieve the impossible.”

At 43: Remember the documentary on the 10th anniversary of Pet’s historic goal against Vasco

For Velho Lobo, Petkovic’s historic goal, scored in the 43rd minute of the second half and which gave a 3-1 victory over Vasco on May 27, 2001, was what erased the memory of Brazil’s runner-up in the World Cup. of the 1950 World Cup in the same Maracanã.

6. “You’re going to have to swallow me”

Yes, Zagallo’s famous phrase was said when he was managing the Brazilian team and was champion of the Copa América in 1997. At the time, irritated by the criticism he was receiving in the press, the coach vented shortly after the title, creating a famous catchphrase that would accompany him. until the end of life.

In 2000, Flamengo’s best moments 4 x 0 Vasco in the João Havelange Cup

But this phrase also had its connection with the Flamengo. In 2000 (that is, three years later), the coach had just returned to Rubro-Negro and scored a resounding 4-0 defeat against Vasco, in the Brazilian Championship. And the fans present at Maracanã shouted in chorus: “Ih, ih, ih, you’re going to have to swallow me.”

7. Coach who signed Zico

Not Zico’s life Flamengo it also passes through the hands of Zagallo. He was the coach when the club’s greatest idol, aged 20, definitively established himself as a starter in 1973. When Zico returned from Italy in 1985, Velho Lobo was also at Rubro-Negro. More than 10 years later, they still worked together at the Seleção, when Galinho was technical coordinator.

5 of 9 Zagallo and Zico at the 1998 World Cup — Photo: Michael Steele/EMPICS/getty Zagallo and Zico at the 1998 World Cup — Photo: Michael Steele/EMPICS/getty

8. Carrasco do Fluminense

Zagallo had four spells at Flamengo and in all of them he was champion against Fluminense. In 1954, he was a player in the 5-2 victory in the Rio International Tournament. As a coach, Velho Lobo had four other victories against Tricolor: in 1972 (Campeonato Carioca, 2×1 and Taça Guanabara, 5×2); in 1984 (Guanabara Cup, 1×0) and in 2001 (Guanabara Cup, on penalties).

9. Papador de Taça Guanabara

As a coach, Zagalo won the Guanabara Cup in his three spells at Flamengo: 1972, 1984 and 2001 (a time when the trophy was much more valued than it is today).

6 of 9 Zagallo managing Flamengo in the 2001 Guanabara Cup — Photo: Agência O Globo Zagallo managing Flamengo in the 2001 Guanabara Cup — Photo: Agência O Globo

10. Only Red and Black to score a goal in the World Cup final

To this day, Zagallo is the only player called up from the Flamengo to score a goal in a World Cup final. He scored Brazil’s fourth in the 5-2 victory over Sweden, which guaranteed the Brazilian team’s first world title.

When he was a coach at Flamengo, Zagallo has even worn the game shirt. Sometimes he wore the same uniform as the players and put a vest over it so as not to confuse the referees.

7 of 9 Zagallo with the Flamengo game shirt under his vest — Photo: Hipólito Pereira / Agência O Globo Zagallo with the Flamengo game shirt under his vest — Photo: Hipólito Pereira / Agência O Globo

12. Last title as a coach

Throughout the three passages, Zagallo commanded the Flamengo in 283 games and won nine titles: Campeonato Carioca (1972 and 2001), Regional Champions Cup (2001) and Taça Guanabara (1972, 1973, 1984 and 2001), Torneio do Povo (1972) and Torneio de Verão (1972).

8 of 9 Jornal O Globo broadcasts the final of the 2001 Champions Cup between Flamengo and São Paulo — Photo: Reproduction / O Globo Jornal O Globo broadcasts the final of the 2001 Champions Cup between Flamengo and São Paulo — Photo: Reproduction / O Globo

The now-defunct Regional Champions Cup was the last title of his career as a coach. The tournament, organized by the CBF between the regional champions, aimed to determine Brazil’s fourth representative in the Libertadores. And the Flamengo de Zagallo defeated São Paulo in the final by an aggregate score of 7 to 6.

9 of 9 Zagallo with the Flamengo shirt — Photo: Reproduction Zagallo with the Flamengo shirt — Photo: Reproduction

Very identified with both clubs, Zagallo did not reveal whether he was Flamengo or Botafogo. But in recent years he has given some clues that his heart beats stronger for Rubro-Negro. In 2018, he appeared on the club’s social media sending a message of support to the team before the clash against Cruzeiro in the Libertadores. In the same year, in an interview with FlaTV, he stated that the red and black fans are the “best there is in Brazil”.

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2024-01-07 07:00:16
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