Valdir Pereira

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Didi
Personal information
Full name	Valdir Pereira
Date of birth	October 8, 1929
Place of birth	Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
Date of death	May 12, 2001 (aged 72)
Place of death	Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Nickname	Príncipe Etíope (Ethiopian Prince) Monsieur Football (Mr. Football)
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth clubs
1944 1945 1945 1945-1946 1946	São Cristóvão Industrial (RJ) Rio Branco (RJ)) Goytacaz (RJ) Americano (RJ)
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1946 1946-1948 1948-1949 1949-1956 1957-1959 1959-1960 1960-1962 1964 1964 1964-1965 1965-1966 1966	Americano (RJ) Lençoense (SP) Madureira (RJ) Fluminense Botafogo Real Madrid Botafogo Botafogo São Paulo Botafogo CD Veracruz São Paulo
National team2
1952-1962	Brazil	68 (20)
Teams managed
1962-1963 1967-1968 1969-1970 1971 1972-1975 1975 1977 1981 1986	Sporting Cristal Sporting Cristal Peru River Plate Fenerbahçe Fluminense Cruzeiro Botafogo Alianza Lima
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of February 15, 2007. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of February 15, 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Valdir Pereira (October 8, 1929 – May 12, 2001), nicknamed Didi, was a Brazilian football midfield player who played in three World Cups: 1954, 1958, and 1962, winning the latter two.

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 Copa de Rio in 1952. He became famous for being an intelligent player and for his "folha seca" ("falling leaf") kicks, where the ball would swerve seemingly downwards at the right time resulting in a goal. During the 1954 World Cup he scored goals against Mexico and Yugoslavia, before Brazil's defeat to the favorites Hungary. This match was infamously 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 Botafogo's clubhouse in his kit if Botafogo won the championship; 5,000 Botafogo fans joined him as he did so.^[1] His greatest achievement came at the 1958 World Cup where he was player of the tournament.^[1] From midfield, he masterminded the first of his two World Cup successes for Brazil. In 68 international matches he scored 20 goals, ^[2] 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 World Cup he played only 19 matches (6 goals) for the Spaniards and often clashed with the team leader Alfredo Di Stéfano, which precipitated his exit from the club. Subsequently, he returned to Botafogo winning two more Carioca championships. After success at the 1962 World Cup, he decided to became coach.

In his first coach experience he managed the peruvian club Sporting Cristal but he returned to play for Botafogo in 1964. He played until 1966, ending his playing career for São Paulo.

After retiring he resumed his coaching career, again with Sporting Cristal, and was called to manage the Peru national team in the 1970 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 and Saudi national teams.

In October 2000, he was inducted into the FIFA Hall of Champions.^[3] By this time he was quite ill and died the following year in Rio de Janeiro from complications arising from cancer.

[edit] Trivia

On June 16, 1950 in a friendly match involving Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo youth state teams, Didi (aged 20), playing for Rio de Janeiro, scored the first ever goal at the Maracanã Stadium.^[4]

[edit] External links

• Sambafoot

[edit] References

Preceded by Sabri Kiraz

Fenerbahçe S.K. managers 1972-1975

Succeeded by Abdullah Gegić

	Brazil squad - 1954 FIFA World Cup
1 Castilho | 2 Djalma Santos | 3 Nílton Santos | 4 Brandãozinho | 5 Pinheiro | 6 Bauer | 7 Julinho | 8 Didi | 9 Baltazar | 10 Pinga | 11 Rodrigues | 12 Paulinho | 13 Alfredo | 14 Ely | 15 Mauro | 16 Dequinha | 17 Maurinho | 18 Humberto | 19 Índio | 20 Rubens | 21 Veludo | 22 Cabeçao | Coach: Moreira

	Brazil squad - 1958 FIFA World Cup Champions (1st Title)
1 Castilho | 2 Bellini | 3 Gilmar | 4 Djalma Santos | 5 Dino Sani | 6 Didi | 7 Zagallo | 8 Oreco | 9 Zózimo | 10 Pelé | 11 Garrincha | 12 Nílton Santos | 13 Moacir | 14 De Sordi | 15 Orlando | 16 Mauro | 17 Joel | 18 Mazola | 19 Zito | 20 Vavá | 21 Dida | 22 Pepe | Coach: Feola

	Brazil squad - 1962 FIFA World Cup Champions (2nd Title)
1 Gilmar | 2 Djalma Santos | 3 Mauro | 4 Zito | 5 Zózimo | 6 Nílton Santos | 7 Garrincha | 8 Didi | 9 Coutinho | 10 Pelé | 11 Pepe | 12 Jair Marinho | 13 Bellini | 14 Jurandir | 15 Altair | 16 Zequinha | 17 Mengálvio | 18 Jair da Costa | 19 Vavá | 20 Amarildo | 21 Zagallo | 22 Castilho | Coach: Moreira

	Peru squad - 1970 FIFA World Cup
1 Rubiños | 2 Campos | 3 de la Torre | 4 Chumpitaz | 5 Fuentes | 6 Mifflin | 7 Challe | 8 Baylón | 9 León | 10 Cubillas | 11 Gallardo | 12 Correa | 13 P. González | 14 Fernández | 15 J. González | 16 Salinas | 17 Cruzado | 18 del Castillo | 19 Reyes | 20 Sotil | 21 Goyzueta | 22 Ramírez | Coach: Didi