The final victory Doctor

I want to die on a Sunday and the champion Corinthians

Socrates, in 1983 responding to the question: How would you like to die?

Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, born in Belém in 1954. Don Raymond, his father, a lover of philosophy, thinkers gave them names of his three sons, Socrates, Sophocles, and Sosthenes. As a young university, his father was forbidden to play football because he did not want to be attentive of his medical studies. Socrates, unable to resist the call of the ball, playing hide and seek. So, one afternoon when Don Raymond went to Botafogo encountered an unexpected surprise: in the starting XI Fogão was his own son. But Socrates did not disappoint his father and his doctorate in medicine, hence its nickname: The Doctor. And again, some time after the fourth commandment honored and graduated in philosophy.

In 1978 he signed for his beloved club, Corinthians. With its 192 centimeters tall dwarf supported on two feet, size 37, slow and smart football jumped quality that made ​​him the head of the Timão and took him to the Selecao. And as he grew as a player, he left his gigantic figure as a social reference.

The military dictatorship in Brazil found in Socrates and his fellow Corinthians a core of citizen resistance. Under the auspices Adilson Alves Monteiro ideological and media force of Socrates, Wladimir and Casagrande called Democracy was created Corinthiana, a social movement that challenged the dictatorship promoting social and debates to be erected as an example: the Corinthians all decision came to be taken by consensus.

To social pressure, the military agreed to hold an election in 1982. A few days before the elections, Socrates took the field with a T-shirt on the back, read: Vote Day 15. Far from being distracted by its efforts to push the masses to embrace democracy, Socrates led the Corinthians to the final of the Paulista. The Doctor jumped into the lawn with a flag containing a message to the world: Win or lose, but always with democracy. Play a great game, scoring a goal and Campeão Corinthians. (Over time Timão players adopted the custom of taking the field with T-shirts with such slogans as Democracy Now and I want to vote for President, Socrates also became famous for their hair ribbons with messages such as love, not terror , Food for Ethiopia or No to apartheid.)
A few months later came the World Cup in Spain. I never saw him play live Socrates, but have been so many times my father told me about this great team of 82 Brazilian is as if there had been a little-internet also helps. Socrates captained a Canarinha with Zico, Junior, Eder, Falcao playing football ... wonderful. They were the best, no one will doubt . But his path to glory was met with Italy's Paolo Rossi and although Socrates managed to stick a goal against Zoff, Rossi Brazilians dream run with a historic hat-trick . At the end of the meeting a brave reporter dared to let go the Doctor: How does it feel after having lost so good and still favorite? Socrates replied: Have we lost? Bad luck ... and worse for the game ... That Brazil won the World Cup, but we all remember and many consider the best team I have ever seen.

Two years later, in 1984, crossed the pond to play in Europe. He went to Fiorentina. Maladjustment and saudade. A year later I was packing back home. In 1986, 32, led the national team that traveled to Mexico to take off the spine of the back 82 and take home a cup that had not won since 1970. On this occasion, who crossed his path was the France of Michel Platini. The party ended up coming to the shootout. Socrates pulled the first and, as happened to so many number one in football history failed. Platini did too, but France went on to win and left without a title that Socrates deserved more than anyone.

As recognized years later, Socrates began his sad story with alcohol when he was player of Corinthians. With the pressure of being a reference as a player and a symbol of pro-democracy struggle, began looking for something in the bottles. His alcoholism was killing him slowly. In 1983, in an interview for a magazine, was asked how he would die. The words spoken in response lead this text: Quero um morre em Sunday and Corinthians Campeão com or.

On the morning of Saturday, at 4:30, Socrates died at Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo at age 57. It was Sunday. A few hours later the Corinthians, his esteem, was played Brasileirão title in the best possible scenario: a real Derby Paulista against Palmeiras. Before the game, players from both teams formed a circle around the center of the field and with Liedson to the head, the raised fist Timão to heaven, as he always did the doctor to skip the field and score a goal . The 50,000 people who filled the stands mimicked the gesture, and raised a cry, almost a prayer: Oh Socrates! Socrates eh! Socrates eh!. 0-0 at end of game, as he had wished Socrates: Campeão Corinthians!

Don Raimundo had a fourth child. But his wife had had enough of the philosophical names that she liked her husband and prevented him from continuing the habit. Then the fourth son was named after his father, Ray. Over time became known as Rai and in the 90's won everything he failed his elder brother, two Libertadores, one Intercontinental, World Cup, the 94, and even succeeded in raising a European Cup Winners' Cup with the PSG . His older brother, Socrates, was far more players than their titles say. And above all, it was much more than a football player.

Videos | YouTube