Rivellino

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Roberto Rivellino (Template:IPA; born 1 January 1946), known as just Rivellino, is a Brazilian football pundit and former player who was one of the key members of Brazil's 1970 FIFA World Cup-winning team.

The son of Italian immigrants from Macchiagodena, Isernia, he played as an attacking midfielder and was famous for his iconic moustache, bending free kicks, long range shooting, accurate long passing, vision, close ball control and dribbling skills.<ref>Roberto Rivelino from Planetworldcup.com</ref> He also perfected a football move called the "flip flap", famously copied by Romário, Mágico González, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo in later years.<ref name="Goldblatt">David Goldblatt (2009). "The Football Book". p. 129. D Kindersley Ltd,</ref> A former attacking midfielder, he is widely regarded as one of the most graceful football players ever, and one of the greatest players of all time. With the close control, feints and ability with his left foot, Diego Maradona named Rivellino among his greatest inspirations growing up.<ref name="Pitch">"Football's Greatest – Rivelino". Pitch International LLP. 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2014</ref> In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Rivellino currently works as a pundit for TV Cultura.<ref>Rivellino assina com a TV Cultura at TV Cultura</ref>

Club career

Rivellino was born in São Paulo, and started as a futsal player at Clube Atlético Barcelona. After that, he tried his luck with Barcelona's biggest rival, Corinthians, where he moved on to professional football and quickly became a favourite of the fans—and was therefore nicknamed "O Rei do Parque" (King of the Park) (after the club's home ground, Parque São Jorge). However, the late 60s and early 70s were one of the most troubled periods in the history of the club, which did not win a single São Paulo state league title between 1954 and 1977.

Rivellino (left) playing in Saudi Arabia in 1979

In 1974, after Corinthians was defeated by arch-rivals Palmeiras in the São Paulo league finals, as the star player Rivellino was singled out by most fans as one of the most responsible for not winning. He moved on to Rio de Janeiro, where he defended Fluminense until the end of the 1970s. Rivellino was undoubtedly the greatest star in the excellent Fluminense of the mid 70s, dubbed "the tricolor machine", among Doval, Pintinho, Gil and Carlos Alberto Torres. He won the Rio de Janeiro league championship in 1975 and 1976. By the end of the decade, he moved on to play for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia; he retired from professional football in 1981.

International career

File:Roberto Rivelino 1974.jpg

Rivellino with Brazil in 1974

Rivellino was a key member of Brazil's 1970 FIFA World Cup winning team, which is often cited as the greatest-ever World Cup team.<ref name="BBC review">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Brazil poll">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Independent">Template:Cite web</ref> Wearing the number 11 jersey, Rivellino was deployed on the left side of midfield and scored three goals, including the powerful bending free-kick against Czechoslovakia, which earned him the nickname "Patada Atómica" (Atomic Kick) by Mexican fans. Rivellino also played in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups, finishing in fourth and third place respectively.<ref>"Dutch take plaudits but Germany take the prize". FIFA. Retrieved 27 December 2014</ref><ref>"Kempes key as Argentina are crowned with confetti". FIFA. Retrieved 27 December 2014</ref>

After retirement

Template:Quote box After his professional retirement, Rivellino started a career as a football commentator and coach (he has managed Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan's J. League). Rivellino further represented Brazil in the 1989 edition of the World Cup of Masters, scoring in the final against Uruguay. Rivellino is sometimes credited with scoring the fastest goal in football history when he supposedly scored a goal direct from the kick-off after noticing the opposition goalkeeper on his knees finishing off pre-match prayers.<ref>Football Legends: The Midfielders at soccerlens.com</ref>

Regarding the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in his country, Rivellino criticized the inclusion of the Amazonian city of Manaus with its stadium Arena da Amazônia in the hosting venues, saying "it’s absurd to play in Manaus. You start sweating the moment you leave the locker room".<ref>Rivelino: 'Manaus an absurd venue'. Football Italia. 14 June 2014</ref>

Career statistics

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref>Template:NFT player</ref>

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Brazil	1965	1	0
	1968	17	6
	1969	1	1
	1970	8	5
	1971	7	1
	1972	5	0
	1973	9	3
	1974	15	6
	1976	8	1
	1977	12	3
	1978	8	0
Total		91	26

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rivellino goal.

List of international goals scored by Rivellino

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Template:Abbr
1	Template:Dts	10th-Anniversary Stadium, Warsaw, Poland	Template:Fb	2–2	6–3	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2				6–3
3	Template:Dts	Estádio da Machava, Matola, Mozambique	Template:Fb	–	2–0	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
4	Template:Dts	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	Template:Fb	1–1	1–2	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
5	Template:Dts	Estadio Nacional del Perú, Lima, Peru	Template:Fb	1–0	4–0	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
6	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	FIFA World XI	1–0	2–1	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
7	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	5–1	6–2	1970 FIFA World Cup qualification	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
8	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	–	2–1	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
9	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
10	Template:Dts	Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Template:Fb	1–1	4–1	1970 FIFA World Cup	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
11	Template:Dts	Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Template:Fb	1–0	4–2	1970 FIFA World Cup	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
12	Template:Dts	Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Template:Fb	3–1	3–1	1970 FIFA World Cup	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
13	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	1–1	2–2	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
14	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	–	5–0	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
15				–
16	Template:Dts	Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers, Algeria	Template:Fb	–	2–0	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
17	Template:Dts	Estádio Governador Hélio Prates da Silveira, Brasília, Brazil	Template:Fb	–	4–0	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
18	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	2–0	2–1	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
19	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	–	2–0	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
20	Template:Dts	Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Template:Fb	2–0	3–0	1974 FIFA World Cup	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
21	Template:Dts	Niedersachsenstadion, Hanover, Germany	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	1974 FIFA World Cup	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
22	Template:Dts	Niedersachsenstadion, Hanover, Germany	Template:Fb	1–0	2–1	1974 FIFA World Cup	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
23	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	–	2–1	1976 Taça do Atlântico	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
24	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	6–0	6–0	1978 FIFA World Cup qualification	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
25	Template:Dts	Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Template:Fb	–	1–1	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
26	Template:Dts	Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil	Template:Fb	–	3–1	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Managerial

<ref>J.League Data SiteTemplate:In lang</ref>

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %
Shimizu S-Pulse	1994	1994
Total

Honours

Corinthians<ref name="Rivelino: A very special left foot">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 1966

Fluminense<ref name="Rivelino: A very special left foot"/>

• Campeonato Carioca: 1975, 1976

Al Hilal

• Saudi Premier League: 1978–79
• King Cup: 1980

Brazil<ref name="Rivelino: A very special left foot"/>

• FIFA World Cup: 1970

Individual

• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team player: 1970; third place: 1978
• Bola de Prata Brazilian Championship All-Star Team: 1971
• World XI: 1971<ref name="BTLM70s">Template:Cite web</ref>
• CONMEBOL All-Star Team: 1973<ref>CONMEBOL All-Star Team Template:Webarchive Retrieved on 17 November 2015</ref>
• Bronze ball South American Footballer of the Year: 1973,<ref>"South American Player of the Year 1973" Retrieved on 17 November 2015</ref> 1976<ref>"South American Player of the Year 1976" Retrieved on 17 November 2015</ref>
• Silver ball South American Footballer of the Year: 1977<ref>"South American Player of the Year 1977" Retrieved on 17 November 2015</ref>
• FIFA 100 Greatest Living Footballers: 2004
• Premio Golden Foot Award (Football Legend Award): 2005<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Best of The Best – Player of the Century: Top 50<ref>"The Best of The Best" Retrieved on 17 November 2015</ref>
• World Soccer: 38th Greatest Player of the 20th Century
• IFFHS Brazilian Player of the 20th Century (12th place)<ref>IFFHS' Century Elections</ref>
• Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame

External links

• Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame
• Rivellino Sport Center
• Rivellino from the Confederação Brasileira de FutebolTemplate:Dead link
• IMNO Interviews Rivelino
• Corinthians All Time Best XI Placar Magazine
• Template:Webarchive
• Template:J.League manager