Socrates

Socrates was born in the family of a tax agent and admirer of the philosophy of Raimundo. He had three brothers, Sophocles (named after Sophocles ), Sostenes, and Raimundo , who also became a football player ^[8] . When Socrates was 6 years old, his family moved to Ribeirão Preto ^[9] .

From an early age, Socrates fell in love with football, his first team was Rano de Ouro:

Once I was near the field and, feeling a desire to train with the players, I asked the coach about this. I didn't even know his name. He asked me what position I play. I replied that the midfielder. It so happened that at that moment they didn’t have a right-wing extreme, and he asked me to take this place, not looking at my very young age - 11 years old, or at the fact that I wasn’t completely prepared for the match of adult men, or even if I have no pair of boots. But this is how my football saga began. Two days later I received, for the first time in my life, a club uniform — white T-shirts with golden stripes. It was an indescribable feeling! I started with the role of a reservist for the player nicknamed Nigra, a black and physically powerful winger. His real name is Miranda. He now works as a massage therapist in the club "Recreativa" ^[9] .

But his father forbade his son to engage in this sport, and therefore the future football player played in secret, while receiving medical education ^[8] . Then he played for the team of his college "Kolezhio Marista" ^[2] .

When Socrates was 16 years old, his college coach was invited to work at the local Botafogo club, where he invited four of his players, among whom was Socrates and Miranda ^[9] . He agreed, but he made a condition that he would continue his studies. So Socrates spent 5 years at the same time speaking for the team and studying for a pediatrician, whom he dreamed of becoming a child. By his own admission of a football player, it was very difficult for him to combine training and study, and he coped with it only with the help of fellow students. In 1976, Socrates became the top scorer of the São Paulo State Championship , which attracted the attention of the country's leading clubs ^[2] .

In 1978, immediately after obtaining a medical degree, Socrates was purchased by Corinthians ^[10] . He made his debut in the team in a match with " Santos " ^[2] .

During the performances for " Corinthians " was known for actively fighting against the military regime in Brazil, setting as an example sport, football as the highest democratic values. Many experts recognize the greatest football player of this second most popular Brazilian club (the number of fans in 2006 was 24 million). Notable for the ability to beat a penalty without a takeoff, which made them irresistible. ^[11] In 1983, Socrates was recognized as the best footballer in South America . His younger brother Rai (legend FC “ São Paulo ”) became the world champion in the Brazilian national team in 1994.

In addition to Corinthians, Socrates also performed in Brazilian Botafogo (Ribeirão Preto) , Flamengo , Santos , and Italian Fiorentina . In 2004, 15 years after the end of his career, for several months he became a playing coach of the English club “ Garfort Town ” from the Regional League of England. Spent only one match, coming on as a substitute 12 minutes before the end of the meeting with Tadcaster Albion .

In August 2011, Socrates was taken to the Albert Einstein hospital with hemorrhage in the digestive tract due to the increased pressure of the portal vein ^[12] . In early September, he was discharged from the hospital; the footballer himself called the cause of hemorrhage alcohol abuse ^[13] :

“The working day, and I took a bottle of wine. If there were no bottles, nothing would have changed for me, but it was a habit. It was my company, as well as cigarettes ” ^[14] .

On December 3, he again went to the hospital with septic shock of intestinal origin ^[15] . He died ^on 4 December at 4:30 ^{[16] [17] [18]} .

A few hours after the death of Socrates "Corinthians" in the match of the last round of the championship of Brazil , playing a draw in the derby against the " Palmeiras " (0: 0), designed the fifth title of champions of the country. The game began with a minute of silence in memory of Socrates.

Team

• Champion of the State of Sao Paulo : 1979, 1982, 1983
• Rio Trophy Winner: 1986
• Champion of the State of Rio de Janeiro : 1986

Personal

• Top scorer of the state of Sao Paulo: 1976
• The best football player in South America : 1983

• Biography of Socrates
• Socrates "Football Che Guevara". Obituaries of Libcom, Guardian and Al Jazeera .
• Dr. Socrates
• 373_socrates (eng.)