One of the most talented players in Brazilian history died on Sunday morning. Socrates, a former attacking midfielder and captain of the Seleçao, has died after a serious intestinal infection.
One of the icons of the 1980s has left us forever. Sampaio de Sousa Vieira de Oliveira, otherwise known as Socrates, was 57 years old and big brother of ex-Parisian Raï. He died on Sunday morning at the Albert Einstein hospital in São Paulo, following a serious intestinal infection for which he had to be hospitalised on Thursday. The much feared outcome of his unfortunate alcohol problem, which he acknowledged in September after a second hospitalisation in three weeks (to treat a digestive hemorrhage), came as a consequence of over-consumption.
But along with his image as a rangy attacking midfielder, as well as being the symbol of the incredible national team that he captained at the 1982 World Cup, Socrates leaves behind him a void in Brazilian culture. A true anomaly among his peers, this tall bearded man made a success of what has become almost unthinkable today, by studying for a degree in Medicine during his professional playing career. His stature, intelligence and especially his elegance with the ball at his feet all made him a perfect ambassador for the sport, for the largest country in South America.
A political and social role
He had a role which he carried forward to the social and political scene, engaging publicly in his own way against the military dictatorship which prevailed at the time (1964-1985). With Wladimir, then other partners, he founded the Corinthian Democracy which called for a decision suggested within his own club, Corinthians, to be adopted after a vote by the players.
At the time when nobody in Brazil wanted to publicise a great desire for freedom, this political change within the league’s flagship team (then in the sporting doldrums) was made in the collective footballing memory of Gilberto Gil’s country, a man who had written a song in homage to this atypical democracy. ‘Democratia’ was a word seen in 1982 on the players’ jerseys, including Socrates, as it made itself public. Socrates smoked one packet of cigarettes per day and sometimes a cigarette at half-time. A legend, one might say.
Source text written by William-Alexandre Proust of Sports.fr. See the full French article here: http://www.parismatch.com/Actu-Match/Sport/Actu/Socrates.-La-disparition-d-un-mythe-360529/
The French POV 