Paulo Roberto Falcão

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Falcão
Personnel
Surname Paulo Roberto Falcão
birthday October 16, 1953
place of birth Abelardo Luz ,  Brazil
size 183 cm
position midfield
Men's
Years station Games (goals) 1
1972-1980 Internacional Porto Alegre 157 (21)
1980-1985 AS Roma 107 (22)
1985-1986 Sao Paulo FC 10 0(0)
National team
Years selection Games (goals)
1976-1986 Brazil 34 0(7)
Stations as a trainer
Years station
1990-1991 Brazil
1991-1992 CF America
1993 Internacional Porto Alegre
1994 Japan
2011 Internacional Porto Alegre
2012 EC Bahia
2015-2016 Sport Recife
2016 Internacional Porto Alegre
1 Only league games are given.

Paulo Roberto Falcão (born October 16, 1953 in Abelardo Luz , Santa Catarina state ) is a former Brazilian soccer player . In the 1970s and 1980s, the playmaker was active for Internacional Porto Alegre and AS Roma . He took part in two world championships with the Brazilian national team. In 2004 he was nominated by Pelé for the list of the 125 best footballers still alive ( FIFA 100 ). Today he works as a commentator.

Club career

The son of Italian immigrants from the Calabria region moved up to the professional squad of Internacional from Porto Alegre at the age of 19 . After a year, the technically skilled midfielder established himself in the team that was one of the strongest in the country. With the "Reds" he won the championship of the state of Rio Grande do Sul five times and the national championship three times . In 1980 he reached the final of the Copa Libertadores with the team , where they lost to Nacional Montevideo . Falcão himself had become a playmaker at the highest level and was considered one of the most hopeful players in the country. He was named "Footballer of the Year" twice (1978 and 1979).

Soon the Brazilian attracted the interest of financially strong European clubs. In the summer of 1980 Falcão was sold to the Italian first division club AS Roma for the equivalent of just under two million DM . After a “settling-in” year, which is typical for Brazilians, he soon showed outstanding performances and directed midfield. He harmonized with midfielder Agostino Di Bartolomei and star striker Roberto Pruzzo , whom he provided with tailor-made templates. After winning the cup (1981), he secured the championship ( Scudetto ) with Roma in 1982/83 , the first in 41 years. The fans gave Falcao the title of “Eighth King of Rome” and adored the entire team. With a weekly salary of DM 30,000, he was at times the best paid footballer in the world. When the "Giallorossi" were in the final of the European Cup against Liverpool in 1984 , there was a penalty shoot-out . Falcão sustained an injury in the game and refused to take his penalty, which is why he was severely criticized. Ultimately, the cup went to Liverpool.

After that, the performance of Falcão stagnated with the "Giallorossi" . He made more headlines off the pitch (including his relationship with actress Ursula Andress ) than his athletic achievements. A complicated knee injury prevented him from playing at the beginning of the 1984/85 season. When the playmaker traveled to New York without the consent of his club to have an operation on his injured knee, Rome terminated his contract. After five years in the "Eternal City" he returned to Brazil.

Falcão signed a two-year contract with São Paulo FC and was only able to play again in 1986. But he did not reach his top form and remained without commitment when São Paulo won the state championship in 1985.

National team

He played his first international match for the Seleção on January 12, 1976 against the Soviet Union . As reigning “Footballer of the Year” , Falcão hoped for a nomination for the World Cup squad in Argentina two years later , but national coach Cláudio Coutinho relied on Roberto Rivelino and Zico in midfield, which is why he did not nominate Falcão. It was only after Coutinho's dismissal that Falcão returned to the squad and finished third at the 1979 Copa America .

1982 Falcão took part in his first world championship. Brazil were the clear tournament favorites and coach Telê Santana relied on his outstanding midfield, consisting of Zico , Sócrates , Toninho Cerezo and Falcão ( "Dream Team" ). The team started the tournament well and became group winners. Falcão was one of the strongest players and scored against Scotland (4-1) and New Zealand (4-0) respectively . Argentina , led by Diego Maradona , was beaten in the second round. A draw against a previously average Italy would have been enough to make it to the semi-finals. Falcão, who knew Italian Serie A football very well, suggested that the coaching staff and his teammates play more defensively, but was overruled. Italy won 3-2 (Falcão had made it 2-2 in the meantime) and Brazil were eliminated. Falcão was elected to the World Cup All-Star Team and finished second in the election for the best player of the tournament (Silver Ball).

After the World Cup, Falcão was not nominated for the national team for four years and only returned to the squad for the 1986 World Cup , where he took part in his second World Cup. At the finals in Mexico he still had to struggle with the consequences of his injury and came on two short appearances as a substitute. His last international match he played in the group stage on June 6, 1986 against Algeria (1-0 win); after another early elimination (in the quarter-finals against France ), he ended his career in the national team.

successes

Societies:

Individually:

  • Bola de Ouro (election to Brazil's Team of the Year): 1978, 1979
  • Silver Ball as second best player at the 1982 World Cup
  • FIFA 100

After the active career

Falcão became a coach and took over the Brazilian national team after the 1990 World Cup , but was released again after just one year. He then worked as a club coach in Mexico ( CF América ) and for his former club Internacional Porto Alegre .

After a brief interlude as the Japanese national coach , he withdrew from the football business and switched to the media industry. He currently works as a columnist and football critic for Rede Globo .

In April 2011 he returned to day-to-day football business. On April 10, 2011, his old club Internacional Porto Alegre announced that Falcão was hired to succeed interim coach André Döring with the aim of defending the Copa Libertadores . In August 2011 he was replaced by his compatriot Doriva .

Trivia

The football-loving father of the Colombian striker Falcao gave his son the middle name Falcao after Paulo Roberto Falcão.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dorival Jr. é o novo técnico do Inter , communication on the website of Internacional Porto Alegre of August 12, 2011 (Portuguese, accessed August 13, 2011)
  2. ↑ Article in the Daily Mail
personal data
SURNAME Falcão, Paulo Roberto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Brazilian soccer player and coach
DATE OF BIRTH October 16, 1953
PLACE OF BIRTH Abelardo Luz