Didi (footballer)

"Waldir Pereira" redirects here. For the football player born in 1986, see Waldir Lucas Pereira.

Didi

Didi in 1958
Personal information
Full name	Waldyr Pereira
Date of birth	(1928-10-08)8 October 1928
Place of birth	Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
Date of death
Place of death	Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1944	São Cristóvão
1945	Industrial (RJ)
1945	Rio Branco (RJ)
1945–1946	Goytacaz (RJ)
1946	Americano (RJ)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1946	Americano (RJ)
1946–1948	Lençoense (SP)
1948–1949	Madureira (RJ)
1949–1956	Fluminense
1957–1959	Botafogo
1959–1960	Real Madrid	19	(6)
1960–1962	Botafogo
1963	Sporting Cristal
1964	São Paulo
1964–1965	Botafogo
1965–1966	CD Veracruz
1966	São Paulo
International career‡
1952–1962	Brazil	68	(20)
Managerial career
1962–1963	Sporting Cristal
1967–1968	Sporting Cristal
1969–1970	Peru
1971	River Plate
1972–1975	Fenerbahçe
1975	Fluminense
1977	Cruzeiro
1978–1981	Al-Ahli (Jeddah)
1981	Botafogo
1981	Cruzeiro
1985	Fortaleza
1986	São Paulo
1986	Alianza Lima
1989–1990	Bangu
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 February 2007 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 February 2007

Waldyr Pereira (8 October 1928 – 12 May 2001), nicknamed Didi (Portuguese pronunciation: [dʒiˈdʒi]), was a Brazilian footballer who played midfielder. He played in three FIFA World Cups (1954, 1958, and 1962), winning the latter two and was named the tournament's best player in 1958.

Didi is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders in the sport renowned for his range of passing, stamina and technique. He became famous for inventing the folha seca (dry leaf) free kicks, notably used by modern-day players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Juninho, where the ball would swerve downward unexpectedly at a point resulting in a goal.

Career

Born in Rio de Janeiro, he nearly had his right leg amputated when he was 14 due to a severe infection. He recovered and played for some clubs in Campos dos Goytacazes. He became professional playing for Americano de Campos. He came to prominence when he joined Fluminense in 1949. During seven seasons with the club he won the Campeonato carioca in 1951 and 1952 Copa Rio.

During the 1954 World Cup he scored goals against Mexico national team and Yugoslavia national team, before Brazil's defeat to the favorites Hungary national team. This match was known as the Battle of Berne; Didi was involved with the brawl that followed this bad-tempered match.

At club level, he moved to Botafogo, winning the Campeonato Carioca (Rio state championship) in 1957. Didi had previously promised to walk from the Maracanã to his house, at the neighbourhood of Laranjeiras (9,4 km), in his kit if Botafogo won the championship; 5,000 Botafogo fans joined him as he did so.

His greatest achievement came at the 1958 FIFA World Cup where he was player of the tournament. From midfield, he masterminded the first of his two FIFA World Cup successes for Brazil. In 68 international matches he scored 20 goals, including a dozen using his trademark free-kicks.

In 1959 he was signed by Real Madrid of Spain. Despite his great reputation after the 1958 FIFA World Cup, he played only 19 matches with 6 goals for the Spaniards and often clashed with the team leader Alfredo Di Stéfano, who felt offended by the divide in the fans' attention with this newcomer; this situation precipitated his exit from the club. After success at the 1962 FIFA World Cup, he decided to become a coach.

Playing honours

Brazil Squad

• FIFA World Cup: 1958, 1962
• Copa Oswaldo Cruz: 1955, 1958, 1961, 1962
• O'Higgins Cup: 1955, 1961
• Pan American Games: 1952
• Atlantic Cup: 1956

Botafogo

• Campeonato Carioca: 1957, 1961, 1962
• Torneio Rio – São Paulo: 1962
• State Championship: 1957, 1961, 1962
• Tournament Home: 1961, 1962, 1963
• Colombia International Tournament: 1960
• Pentagonal Club of Mexico: 1962

Fluminense

• Copa Rio: 1952
• State Championship: 1951

Real Madrid

• European Cup: 1960
• Ramon de Carranza Trophy: 1959

Individual

• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1958
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1958
• IFFHS Brazilian Player of the 20th Century (7th place)
• IFFHS World Player of the 20th Century (19th place)
• The Best of The Best – Player of the Century: Top 50
• Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame

Coach/Manager career

After retiring as player he began a coach career with Sporting Cristal, and was called to manage the Peru national team in the 1970 FIFA World Cup. That team included stars like Teófilo Cubillas and Héctor Chumpitaz were eventually defeated in the quarter finals by Brazil. In 1971 he managed the top Argentine club, River Plate, when he accepted a lucrative position, and had his apex in his coaching career with Fenerbahçe, guiding the team to two consecutive Turkish First Division (later named Turkish Premier Super League) titles in 1973–1974 and later in 1974–1975.

He also coached important Brazilian clubs like Bangu, Fluminense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, Peruvian club Alianza Lima, Kuwaiti national team and Al-Ahli teams.

In October 2000, he was inducted into the FIFA Hall of Champions. By this time he was quite ill and died the following year in Rio de Janeiro from complications arising from intestinal cancer.

Trivia

On June 16, 1950 in a friendly match involving Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo youth state teams, Didi (aged 21), playing for Rio de Janeiro, scored the first ever goal at the Maracanã Stadium. He is also known as the first person to call the game The Beautiful Game.

External links

• Sambafoot
• Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame (in Portuguese)