Leônidas da Silva, o "Diamante Negro", morre aos 90 anos

Thanks Lono...

R.I.P. Diamante.

The man in Brasilian footy during 30-40's. As with Fredenreich, before him, and Pele, after him, undisputed Rei of Brasilian football during his epoch.

First big name in Brasil to "chase the money", being called "mercenario" whenever he changed squads, but always producing unforgettable football and bringing titles. A Flamengo and Sao Paulo FC legend, with passages in Uruguay.

Interesting passage from today's JB. http://jbonline.terra.com.br/
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Leônidas deu ao Brasil o terceiro lugar, primeira boa colocação da Seleção numa Copa. Em 1938, já desfrutava de prestígio. Muito antes, em 1932, conquistou pelo Brasil a Copa Rio Branco, e disputou o Mundial de 1934. A carreira vitoriosa e polêmica começou aos 16 anos, em 1930, no Sírio Libanês, em São Paulo. Em 1931, voltou para o futebol carioca, onde ficou no Bonsucesso até 1932. Rejeitado no América por causa do racismo da época, jogou no Peñarol, do Uruguai, e retornou ao Rio. Com a camisa do Vasco, foi campeão carioca em 1934, repetindo o feito no Botafogo em 1935. Polêmico, não parava em clube nenhum.

A partir de 1936, a história de Leônidas mudou. A do Flamengo, também. O presidente da época, Bastos Padilha, queria popularizar o clube, até então elitista. Para isso, contratou três jogadores negros: o centro-médio Fausto dos Santos, o Maravilha Negra; o zagueiro Domingos da Guia, o Divino Mestre; e Leônidas da Silva. O jeito moleque, a genialidade e os gols de Leônidas tornaram o Flamengo o clube mais querido do Brasil, título que detém até hoje. Multidões se arrastavam para ver o jogador habilidoso, veloz, insinuante.

A coqueluche foi tamanha que em pesquisa sobre as maiores celebridades da época, Leônidas terminou empatado em primeiro lugar com nada mais nada menos que o presidente do Brasil na época, Getúlio Vargas.
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Brasil needs to cherish its treasures.

PS - I recommend Andre Ribeiro's book "O Diamante Eterno". Interesting history of Brasilian football at time, and a paints a well rounded picture of the man(one with a strong enough will to circumvent the color prejudice and total lack freedom to chart their professional destiny that the players of the day faced.....and people say Romario is a rebel....)

 

great player may he rip

my dad just told me that leonidas invented "la oja seca" and revolutionized the freekicks. that he was the first one to put a curl on the ball and make it go over the wall and down instead of just hammering it through the wall.

is this true?

 

Your father probably has forgotten more football knowledge than I possess, but I think he may be mistaken here Vico.

The "Folha Seca" was a Didi invention.

Leonidas is the perfecter of the "bicycle kick". He always admited that he first practioner of this maneuver was Petronilho de Brito, but he, Leonidas, is universally regarded in Brasil* as its greatest master -- making it part of his offensive repetoire.

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*When playing with spanish speaking S.Americans, they call the play "chilena". Never bothered to ask why, but am now curious...can anyone help? Thanks.

 

There is a popoular myth that Leonidas was kept out of the 1938 WC semi final against Italy because the coach, Adhemar Pimenta, was sure of victory and wanted to rest him for the final.

The truth....Leonidas pulled a muscle against Czechoslovakia and was improbable that he be well enough to play 48 hours later in the semis. Today, with player substitutions allowed, a player of his caliber would probably have played a portion of the game; but in those days he could only have started, and if lame, Brasil would have had to play with a man down for all intents. Pimenta could not have risked it.

His natural subsitute, Niginho, was declared ineligible for the game by FIFA after the Italian delegation protested to the governing body that Niginho had deserted his club, Lazio, shortly before the WC. Seems that he feared being inducted into the Italian army and hastily reatreated to Rio. The CBD knew this at the time and still called him up for the Selecao. Pimenta was then forced to turn to another player, Pelliciari, who was not a forward.

Don't you love history.

Whether or not that made the difference in the 2-1 defeat we'll never know, but Leonidas had an interesting perspective (paraphrasing):

"I believe that my absence had a great influence in or defeat, not from a technical perspective, but from a psychological perspective.....I didn't always play well, but never accepted defeat, and fought my way through every game. In this way they felt might absence."

Didn't mean to ignore your response Ombak, I must of been writing mine at he same time.

 

Cause there was a Chilean player who invented the kick,but i don't know if it's exactly like the bicicleta.

 

from the Gaurdian (in English)

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1132235,00.html


An excerpt:

Leonidas was the more phenomenal for being so small a centre forward, though he began as an inside right. Of him, it was said by Jerry Wienstein, "He was as fast as a greyhound, as agile as a cat, and seemed not to be made of flesh and bones at all, but entirely of rubber. He was tireless in pursuit of the ball, fearless, and constantly on the move. He never conceded defeat. He shot from any angle and any position, and compensated for his small height with exceptionally supple, unbelievable contortions, and impossible acrobatics."

 

Realmente, essa notícia foi muito triste para mim. Até porquê o Leônidas para mim era o maior ídolo da história do futebol. Como bem foi dito: "Ele era um Pelé sem televisão"

Eleito centroavante da seleção brasileira de todos os tempos, Leônidas é um mito. Tinha uma habilidade tão assombrosa de finalização, tanto no chute quanto no cabeceio. Foi o popularizador da bicicleta e o criador do drible de corpo. Um zagueiro que jogou no São Paulo disse que Leônidas chutava tão bem, que nunca o viu dar um chute por sobre o travessão...