Garrincha – Brazil's Fallen Football God and Joy of a Nation
Thomas Johannes Look
Capital Management (up 41,75%+ in H1 2024, up 23,17%+ in H2, since 1 July 2024), Corporate Advisory & Digital Publishing
Manuel Francisco dos Santos, in his short life, was known by many names. Garrincha translated as "little bird" in English, was given to him for the lightness of his play.
The title of one of the most renowned film documentaries by Jean-Christophe Rosé from 2002, "Dieux du Brésil – Brazilian Football Gods," tells the story of Pele and Garrincha. One, the shining, perpetual goal-scorer Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pele. The other, Manuel Francisco dos Santos, known as Mané Garrincha.
Garrincha was always at a tilt due to his uniquely formed legs, one six centimeters shorter than the other. This gave the constant impression that he was about to lose his balance, yet Garrincha only fell if repeatedly fouled by opponents.
When Pele played alongside Garrincha in the Selecao, Brazil remained undefeated.
Due to his naturally bent legs, one O-shaped and the other X-shaped, he was called the "Angel with Bent Legs." As he rose to fame, he became known as "Alegria do Povo," the joy of the people.
The writer Nelson Rodrigues referred to him as the "Charlie Chaplin of Football." Watching the dancing winger in Garrincha's rare old film footage, one can see the slapstick resemblance.
His signature move was always the same: feinting once, twice, swaying his upper body, darting back and forth, waiting, and then suddenly breezing past the opponent. Sometimes, he would pause, allowing the defender to catch up, only to dribble around them and dart away again.
Garrincha was a "Malandro," a crafty trickster, an essential figure in Brazilian football, a style embodied by players like Edmundo and Romário.
Josimar was another such player. The right-back who emerged out of nowhere in the 1986 World Cup, scoring two incredible goals almost from the corner flag, then fading from the limelight and succumbing to drug addiction. To a lesser extent, Robinho and Neymar also fit this player type.
However, the godfather of all "Malandros" was and remains Garrincha, who won the World Cup twice consecutively with Brazil in 1958 and 1962, a right winger for Botafogo in Rio, a "Malandro" and a "Mulherengo," a notorious womanizer from the small town of Pau Grande. In Brazil, it's said that while Pele is respected, "Mané" Garrincha is genuinely adored. Such are Brazil's diverse football deities.
Malandro: The term "malandro" in Brazilian culture refers to a clever or street-smart individual who often uses their wits and charm to navigate through life, sometimes bending rules or social norms to their advantage. This archetype is known for being resourceful, charismatic, and sometimes engaging in small acts of trickery or deceit. However, the malandro is also often viewed with a certain degree of affection in popular culture, seen as a lovable rogue who is adept at outsmarting more powerful or oppressive forces.
Mulherengo: "Mulherengo" is a Portuguese word used to describe a man who is a notorious womanizer. It implies someone who pursues multiple romantic or sexual relationships with women, often simultaneously, without intending to establish a serious connection with any of them. This term often carries a negative connotation, suggesting a lack of commitment, respect, or sincerity towards the women involved.
During Garrincha's active play, yellow cards were yet to be introduced, and he was constantly kicked and fouled without repercussions. Whether he would fare better in today's tightly packed midfield of modern football and under the glare of electronic media is debatable!
When Garrincha's star rose during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the stadium audiences first realized they were witnessing an extraordinary footballer's international debut.
He invented tricks
Garrincha pioneered the art of football, introducing moves and feints never seen before, radiating an almost naive joy in his play. He invented new tricks and improved existing ones, performing feats intuitively that would take other players years to master.
The victory in the 1958 World Cup, which helped heal the wounds of the traumatic loss on home soil in the 1950 World Cup, made Garrincha an overnight national icon. He rallied a nation reeling from political crisis, a proud country that had liberated itself from Portuguese colonial rule.
The "Sele??o" united the people, and Garrincha was revered despite his evident struggles with life off the pitch. He began drinking early, perhaps to cope with the pain in his deformed legs, was involved in several car accidents, and struggled financially. It's no surprise, then, that portraits of Garrincha depict him as a brilliant footballer with a humble spirit.
A sensitive soul succumbing to alcohol who found solace in the countryside
However, Garrincha was different – a sensitive soul succumbing to alcohol who found solace in the countryside. His life took a dramatic turn in 1966 when he left his wife and six children to live with the scandalous singer Elza Soares, whom he met during the victorious 1962 World Cup in Chile.
His relationship with a mixed-race woman from impoverished circumstances clashed with the conservative norms of Catholic Brazil. Yet, the people on the streets never abandoned their idol, plunging into deep depression when Garrincha bid farewell to the national team in 1966. He ended his career with a farewell match at Maracan? in 1973, only to be soon forgotten.
His meager pension was insufficient. When he died on January 20, 1983, at just 49, from alcohol poisoning, penniless, Garrincha left behind at least 14 children and a public that only then began to remember him.
Thousands of fans lined the path to his grave. His death coincided with the end of "futebol arte," the classic Brazilian style of football that celebrated the game's artistic perfection.
A year before Garrincha's death, at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Brazil's dream team, featuring stars like Zico, Sócrates, and Falc?o, fell to the clever Italians in the round of 16. Interestingly, when Pele and Garrincha – Brazil's two most extraordinary players – played together in the national team, they never lost a game.
Garrincha only experienced one defeat in his international career – in his last game for Brazil (50 caps, 12 goals) during the 1966 World Cup group stage against Hungary (1:3).
The gravestone
His gravestone in Rio de Janeiro's "Cemiterio Raiz da Serra" cemetery bears the inscription: Descanse em paz, que era a alegria do povo – Mané Garrincha. (English: "Here lies in peace the one who was the joy of the people – Mané Garrincha.").
Achievements:
Brazil National Team:
Botafogo: International Titles
National Titles
Individual Titles (Selected)
Inducted into the Brazilian Football Hall of Fame
The next edition of the series, "Fate was not kind to these 12 soccer greats," will be published next Wednesday, December 6, 2023. We tell the story of the World Cup own goal that turned into a death sentence