Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo, born on August 9, 1931, died on Friday. As a player, a so-called ‘hanging left winger’, he was nicknamed ‘the little ant’ (formiguinha), because of his tactical skills, his speed and because he helped out in midfield as an attacker, which was rare at the time he played football. Zagallo was one of the modest stars of the 1958 and 1962 world championship teams. The small, dark blond winger became world champion twice. But he is mainly remembered in Brazil as the coach who made his country’s national team world champions in 1970 and 1994 (as an assistant).
Zagallo was not a special player, like Pelé, Garrincha and Didi were in the teams in which he played. He saw the game and served the real stars with beautiful and direct passes. He made his debut five weeks before the 1958 World Cup, because Pepe (the agile left winger of FC Santos) had been injured. By scoring two goals at the World Cup against Paraguay, he found himself in the Brazilians’ starting team. In the final against host country Sweden, he scored the fourth goal and served Pelé (17 years old) for the fifth goal. After the fourth goal he burst into tears. That was unprecedented for the usually stoic footballing Brazilians. Only Pelé showed his emotions, especially after Brazil became world champions for the first time.
Zagallo didn’t score much in the Brazilian team. He scored five goals in 33 international matches. He was more the diligent, fast and tactical player. This was already the case at his clubs Flamengo (eight seasons) and Botafogo (seven). It has often been said that anyone could have been coach of the wonderful team that won the world title in Mexico in 1970. But by putting Rivelino and Gerson together, he earned the honor and that is partly why the players carried him on their shoulders around the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City after the final against Italy (4-1).
Brazil’s adventurous players who excelled and won the world title in 1958, 1962 and 1970 made an impression everywhere. At the 1974 World Cup in Germany, the Dutch national team played against Brazil. That became a deception. Rarely has both teams played so hard and rough. Zagallo, who was then coach of the Brazilians, was accused of letting his team play too defensively. Partly because of this, the Dutch team won, as was claimed in Brazil.
1994 World Cup
Zagallo became national coach of Kuwait in 1976 and led the United Arab Emirates to the 1990 World Cup. In Brazil, Carlos Alberto Parreira became national coach in the early 1990s. Zagallo was his assistant when Brazil became world champions in the United States in 1994. After Parreira’s departure, Zagallo became national coach.
The Brazilians reached the final of the 1998 World Cup. But for the first time in five attempts, Brazil would lose to host country France (0-3). The final in Paris will be remembered as the match in which Brazilian striker Ronaldo wandered around like a zombie. Despite a ‘coincidence’, Zagallo had lined him up for the match – line-ups had already been distributed in the press stands. Lawsuits about what ‘really’ happened to Ronaldo did not lead to a verdict. Zagallo came to his conclusion and resigned. He was 66 years old at the time.
In Brazil, the country where the people cannot do without football, Zagallo is considered a legend. Especially because of the world titles he won as a player and as a coach. Mario Zagallo was a modest man, but when he came on screen, everyone saw that he was smart and understood the game well. He let Pelé (undeniably the greatest football player in the world) shine, believed in Rivelino, Gerson, Garrincha, Didi and Tostao. He rarely scored, but provided his fellow attackers with unmissable opportunities. He was a tactician, something the Brazilians often lack.
In recent years, Zagallo has been plagued by diseases. His heart in particular regularly acted up. In 2001 he stopped as coach of Flamengo, he could no longer cope. Mario Zagallo lived to be 92 years old and is known in Brazil as a ‘thief’ (um uomem violento).