| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Waldyr Pereira | ||
| Date of birth | 8 October 1928 | ||
| Place of birth | Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil | ||
| Date of death | 12 May 2001 (aged 72) | ||
| Place of death | Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil | ||
| Playing position | Central 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 | ?? | (??) |
| 1964 | Botafogo | ?? | (??) |
| 1964 | São Paulo | ?? | (??) |
| 1964–1965 | Botafogo | ?? | (??) |
| 1965–1966 | CD Veracruz | ?? | (??) |
| 1966 | São Paulo | ?? | (??) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1952–1962 | Brazil | 68 | (20) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1962–1963 | Sporting Cristal | ||
| 1967–1968 | Sporting Cristal | ||
| 1969–1970 | Peru | ||
| 1971 | River Plate | ||
| 1972–1975 | Fenerbahçe | ||
| 1975 | Fluminense | ||
| 1977 | Cruzeiro | ||
| 1978-81 | Al-Ahli (Jeddah) | ||
| 1981 | Botafogo | ||
| 1986 | Alianza Lima | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 February 2007. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Waldyr Pereira (8 October 1928 – 12 May 2001), nicknamed Didi (Portuguese pronunciation: [dʒiˈdʒi]), was a Brazilian footballer who played midfielder. He played in three World Cups: 1954, 1958, and 1962, winning the latter two. He is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders in the sport renowned for his range of passing, stamina and flawless technique. He became famous for inventing the "folha seca" ("falling leaf") kicks, where the ball would swerve seemingly downwards at the right time resulting in a goal.
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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.
During the 1954 World Cup he scored goals against Mexico and Yugoslavia, before Brazil's defeat to the favorites Hungary. 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 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, who felt offended by the divide in the fan’s attention with this newcomer; this situation precipitated his exit from the club. After success at the 1962 World Cup, he decided to become a coach.
After retiring as player he began a coach career 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 intestinal cancer.
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] He is also known as the first person to call the game The Beautiful Game.
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