Nílton Santos

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Nílton Santos
Nilton Santos - 2004.jpg
Nílton Santos (2004)
Personnel
Surname Nílton Reis dos Santos
birthday May 16, 1925
place of birth Rio de Janeiro ,  Brazil
date of death November 27, 2013
Place of death Rio de Janeiro ,  Brazil
position defense
Juniors
Years station
1940-1948 Botafogo FR
Men's
Years station Games (goals) 1
1948-1964 Botafogo FR 723 (13)
National team
Years selection Games (goals)
1949-1962 Brazil 75 0(3)
1 Only league games are given.
Brazil 1958: Vicente Feola (coach), Djalma Santos, Zito, Bellini, Nilton Santos, Orlando, Gilmar - Garrincha, Didi, Pelé, Vava, Zagallo.
Nilton Santos statue in front of the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos , Rio de Janeiro.

Nílton Santos (full name Nílton Reis dos Santos , born May 16, 1925 in Rio de Janeiro , † November 27, 2013 there ) was a Brazilian football player . The two-time world champion earned the nickname "Football Lexicon" (Enciclopédia do Futebol) through his in-depth understanding of the game, in which he was distinguished by his great intelligence and foresight. Nílton Santos is considered to be the pioneer of the offensive interpretation of the full-back position and has a place on many lists of the best of all time.

Live and act

Association: a life for Botafogo

In 1948 Nílton Santos joined Botafogo , a top club from Rio de Janeiro . He should remain loyal to the club until the end of his playing career. In cooperation with Garrincha , Didi , Amarildo , Mário Zagallo and other greats of Brazilian football history, he won the state championship in Rio de Janeiro four times and the important Rio-São Paulo tournament in 1962 and 1964 . Nílton Santos scored eleven goals in his 718 games for his club until 1964. This makes him the club's record player.

When Garrinchas committed in 1953, who competed against him in the trial training, his verdict against the club management that "he plays better for us than against me" was decisive. The two should be a lifelong friendship.

National team

His 13-year national team career began at the Copa América in 1949 in his own country, when the then almost 24-year-old Nílton Santos made his first appearance in the game against Colombia as a substitute - already allowed in South America at the time. The game ended 5-0 for his team and it was his only use during the tournament. In the end, Brazil won the title and Nílton Santos was also able to record his first success with the Seleção . In the following year the soccer world championship took place in Brazil. Here Nílton Santos was in the squad, but was not used and the vice world championship, which was perceived as shameful, was spared him.

At the Copa América 1953 in Peru , Brazil lost sensationally in the final against outsider Paraguay and was only second again. At the soccer world championship 1954 in Switzerland came the premature end for Brazil in the quarter-finals. In the game against Hungary , which went down in football history as the Battle of Bern , the end was premature for Nílton Santos too. In addition to his compatriot Humberto Tozzi and the Magyar József Bozsik , he was expelled from the field by the English referee Arthur Ellis . The boxing match between Nílton Santos and Bozsik after the former fouled the latter is a lasting memory.

As such, the 1956 Copa America was less remembered in Peru, where Brazil, like the previous one in Peru, was once again awarded second place. Nílton Santos was not used in the decisive game against the eventual winner Argentina .

Even more memorable, however, was Nílton Santos' deployment at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden . In the game against Austria he dribbled the entire length of the field and crowned his efforts with a remarkable goal. Brazil coach Vicente Feola screamed his throat in vain at the situation: his instruction to Nílton Santos to stay behind was ignored. During the tournament, Pelé and Garrincha introduced themselves to an astonished audience and Brazil, which enchanted the world, became world champions for the first time with a 5-2 final victory over the hosts Sweden .

At the first South American Championship in 1959 , Nílton Santos played only one game and Brazil was again only second in this competition, behind hosts Argentina. Much more important was the defense of the world championship title at the 1962 World Cup in Chile. The then young superstar Pelé had to retire early on in the tournament due to an injury, but Nílton Santos' teammate Amarildo from Botafogo was more than enough for him. In the 3-1 win in the final against Czechoslovakia , Amarildo even equalized for the Brazilians. For Nílton Santos, now 37, after the final whistle of the final, his 75th international match, the time had come to say goodbye to the national team.

End of career

In 1964 he also put an end to club football. He also published the book “Minha Bola, Minha Vida” (My Ball, My Life) , otherwise he stayed out of the public eye. At the opening ceremony of the 2006 World Cup , Nílton Santos, together with Amarildo, was part of a delegation of Brazilian world champions. He last lived in a senior citizens' home in Rio de Janeiro and suffered from Alzheimer's and other age-related symptoms. His club Botafogo, and fans gave the last destitute Nílton Santos strong financial support. On November 27, 2013, Nílton Santos died of a lung infection at the age of 88. He was laid out at the headquarters of General Severiano and then found his final resting place in the Cemitério São João Batista cemetery in Botafogo.

The President of the Brazilian Football Association José Maria Marin ordered a minute's silence for the upcoming championship games. "Brazilian football is in sorrow. I was privileged to see Nílton Santos play. He is one of the best players in the history of football."

Botafogo has been allowed to name its stadium after him since 2015 (Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos).

title

Brazilian national soccer team

Botafogo FR

Quotes

  • “The boy never did a trick with the ball. He only made art. Nílton wasn't a football player, he was an exclamation. ”- Armando Nogueira
  • “When I was called to the Copa Roca in 1957 , I was 16 years old. Following the advice of my father Dondinho, it was Nílton Santos who encouraged me before training and: “Don't be afraid and play your football.” - Pelé
  • “If you play as much as he does, position doesn't matter. Nílton Santos wasn't a full-back or a full-back. He was a star, it's that simple. ”- Zito
  • “Few things that happen on a soccer field could surprise Nílton Santos. You only have to watch him play for five minutes to know that he knew absolutely everything about football. ”- Mário Zagallo

Web links

Commons : Nílton Santos  - collection of images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Marcelo Leme de Arruda: The Best of The Best , Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation , June 12, 2009.
  2. ↑ Pedro Varanda, Auriel de Almeida: Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas , Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation and RSSSF Brazil, March 20, 2013.
  3. ^ Richard Williams: Klose double carries Germany to a joyous victory , The Guardian , June 10, 2006.
  4. ↑ Fred Huber: Familiares e alvinegros velam o ídolo Nilton Santos em General Severiano , globoesporte.com, November 27, 2013.
personal data
SURNAME Santos, Nílton
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Santos, Nílton Reis dos
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Brazilian soccer player
DATE OF BIRTH May 16, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH Rio de Janeiro
DATE OF DEATH November 27, 2013
Place of death Rio de Janeiro