- Title: BRAZIL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Brazilian soccer legend Zagallo is honored with statue
- Date: 6th August 2013
- Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (AUGUST 6, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BRAZILIAN SOCCER LEGEND, MARIO ZAGALLO STATUE, WITH LOCAL SOCCER CLUB BOTAFOGO'S FLAG CLOAKING IT MAN PUTS FINAL TOUCHES ON THE PLAQUE ON THE STATUE ZAGALLO AND THE PRESIDENT OF BRAZILIAN SOCCER FEDERATION, JOSE MARIN, WALKING TO CEREMONY ZAGALLO, MARIN, AND OTHERS POSE BY STATUE PRESENTER SPEAKING ZAGALLO STANDS
- Embargoed: 21st August 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Brazil
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Technology,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA1KO9EXL5YN55T15Y8MAE9KC0Z
- Story Text: Four-time world champion and legendary Brazilian soccer star Mario Zagallo is honoured with a statue in Rio de Janeiro.
Legendary Brazilian soccer player and coach Mario Zagallo was officially honoured with a statue in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday (August 6).
The ceremony of unveiling the statue erected outside the Joao Havelange Olympic Stadium was attended by Brazilian soccer federation president Jose Marin and fellow soccer legends and old team-mates of Zagallo, Carlos Alberto Parreira and Amarildo.
Zagallo remembered what meant the most to him from his illustrious career as he celebrated the great honour.
"The victories. The faith, which is very important. I am happy with the homage they put together live, and I am alive! I have to give thanks like I said," Zagallo said.
Zagallo is a four-time world champion, winning the World Cup in 1958, '62, '74, and '94. He will turn 82 next week.
The world champion waxed about Brazil's chances to add another title in 2014.
"We have an obligation to win. If the Brazilian national team is inferior to Spain or German football, that is of little importance. What is important is the game will be played here in 2014. We already lost in 1950 and I don't want to see another loss by Brazil. I want them to be six-time champions," he said.
Brazil, which hosts the 2014 World Cup, is the only country to have won the title five times. But when they hosted in 1950 they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Uruguay and failed to win the tournament.
Zagallo was also a long-time hero for local Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo and won several city championships for them during the 1960s.
That statue of the slender Zagallo is two and a half metres tall set atop a two metre pedestal.
Unlike the majority of immortalized Botafogo players outside the same stadium, Zagallo appears in the sculpture wearing the national team jersey.
Zagallo's former team-mates Parreira and Amarildo embraced their friend after the unveiling.
Parreira fielded questions about current Brazilian soccer phenomenon Neymar Santos Junior's recent move to European powerhouse club Barcelona.
"It's excellent that he (Neymar) has gone. It was great and he will adapt. He will own Barcelona. He's going to grow as a professional. He's not going to learn to play soccer, he already knows that very well and has proved this. It was great that he showed this before going there. Again, he will grow as a professional without any doubt. Him playing on Brazil's national team is very good for us. He is going to return a different player, growing professionally and personally," Parreira said.
Neymar and the rest of the Brazilian team recently surprised the soccer world by beating Spain in the Confederations Cup final in June. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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