Brazilian President says Zagallo was one of the greatest football players and coaches of all time
\nRIO DE JANEIRO:
\nBrazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared three days of national mourning Saturday for four-time World Cup-winning football legend Mario Zagallo, a day after his death at age 92.
\nZagallo, who played alongside Pele in Brazil\u2019s 1958 and 1962 World Cup-winning teams and later won the trophy as a coach, died Friday of multiple organ failure, said the Barra D\u2019Or hospital in Rio de Janeiro, where he had been treated for a series of health problems in recent months.
\nLula led a flood of tributes to the man known as the \u201cOld Wolf,\u201d who coached Brazil\u2019s 1970 World Cup-winning side starring Pele — considered by many the greatest team in history — and served as assistant coach when the \u201cSelecao\u201d repeated the feat in 1994.
\n\u201cHe was one of the greatest football players and coaches of all time,\u201d Lula said in a statement.
\n\u201cCourageous, passionate… (he) leaves a lesson of love, dedication and the will to overcome for our country — and for world football.\u201d
\nMessages also poured in from around the football world.
\n\u201cZagallo\u2019s influence on football, and Brazilian football in particular, is supreme,\u201d said FIFA chief Gianni Infantino.
\nInfantino called the diminutive left winger a \u201ctactical genius,\u201d underlining his role in four of football powerhouse Brazil\u2019s five World Cup titles — more than anyone in history.
\n\u201cHe will be remembered as the Godfather of Brazilian football and his presence will be sorely missed… The story of the FIFA World Cup cannot be told without Mario Zagallo,\u201d Infantino said.
\nThe only other men to win the World Cup as both player and coach are Franz Beckenbauer of Germany (1974 and 1990) and Didier Deschamps of France (1998 and 2018).
\nCurrent and former players also paid their respects, including Brazilian World Cup winners Ronaldinho, Romario, Bebeto, Taffarel and Cafu.
\n\u201cThank you for everything, Professor!!! Rest in peace,\u201d Ronaldinho posted on Instagram, alongside a photo of him and Zagallo.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s as important as Pele,\u201d Romario told journalists.
\n\u201cToday is a sad day for football.\u201d
\n\u201cThank you for everything, LEGEND,\u201d current Brazil and Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
\nThe Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said a minute\u2019s silence for Zagallo would be held at upcoming matches.
\nMany of Brazil\u2019s top-flight clubs also paid tribute, including ones where Zagallo played or coached, such as Rio de Janeiro teams Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco.
\nA public wake for Zagallo will be held from 9:30 am (1230 GMT) Sunday at CBF headquarters in Rio, officials said, followed by a burial at the Sao Joao Batista cemetery, the final resting place of some of Brazil\u2019s most famous citizens.
\nBeloved in Brazil for both his football heroics and outsize personality, Zagallo is remembered for his warm humor, deep superstition — he swore by the number 13 — and combative passion for the game.
\nHis death comes at a difficult moment in Brazilian football, which is still mourning the loss of Pele just over a year ago.
\nBrazil sacked national team coach Fernando Diniz Friday after the \u201cSelecao,\u201d playing without injured star Neymar, suffered a string of losses in World Cup qualifying, including a humiliating 1-0 home loss to archrivals Argentina in November.
\nThe CBF has meanwhile been embroiled in a messy legal battle over its leadership, and has struggled to find a new coach, with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti turning down the role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Brazilian President says Zagallo was one of the greatest football players and coaches of all time RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared three days of national mourning Saturday for four-time World Cup-winning football legend Mario Zagallo, a day after his death at age 92. Zagallo, who played alongside Pele in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":379403,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-379389","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n