Paulo Roberto Falcão
Encyclopedia
Paulo Roberto Falcão (ˈpawlu ʁoˈbɛʁtu fawˈkɐ̃w̃; born October 16, 1953) is a Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian head coach and former football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

er, currently managing Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...

. He is widely considered one of the best players in Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...

 and Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

 history, and one of the most talented midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

s of all time, especially at his peak in the mid 1980s. At one stage, he was the world's highest paid footballer, earning £10,000 a week.

For the Brazil national team
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...

, he was capped 34 times between February 1976 and June 1986. He was named by Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...

 as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers
FIFA 100
The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...

 to mark FIFA’s centennial in March 2004.

Internacional

Falcão began his professional career at Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...

 of Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul, where he played from 1973 to 1980, winning three Brazilian National Championships(1975, 1976, 1979) and reaching the finals of the 1980 Copa Libertadores, losing to Nacional
Nacional
Nacional is the Portuguese and Spanish word for national.Nacional may also refer to:-Airlines:* Nacional Transportes Aéreos, a Brazilian airline defunct in 2002* Transportes Aéreos Nacional, a Brazilian airline defunct in 1961-Music:...

. During his time at Sport Club Internacional, he was surprisingly left out of the Brazil squad for the World Cup in Argentina in 1978, though he made the shortlisted pre-tournament 40.

Roma

In 1980, Falcão transferred to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

 club Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

 for £650,000. In his first season in Italy (1980-81)
Serie A 1980-81
The 1980/1981 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...

, he was able to master the language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

 and had his mother and sister living with him to help settle him in. He played well, scoring 3 goals in his 25 games as Roma finished 2nd in Serie A to Juventus. This was a controversial championship, as Roma had a perfectly good goal ruled out against Juventus during a defining draw in Turin. Consolation came with a Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...

 win for Roma, beating Torino in the final on penalties - Falcão himself scored the decisive spot kick.

Although Roma slipped to 3rd in his second season (1981-82)
Serie A 1981-82
The 1981/1982 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:Juventus FC became the first, and as of 2011, the only team in Italian football to be awarded two golden stars, to commemorate their 20th title win.-Results:...

, personally for Falcão it was better than the first, with 6 goals in 24 games, rivaling Liam Brady
Liam Brady
Liam Brady is a former Irish association football player, and former assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team....

 as the most impressive foreign star in Serie A. At the end of this season, he was deservedly called up for the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain.

After the World Cup, Falcão then inspired Roma to win their first league title since the Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....

 years in 1982-83
Serie A 1982-83
The 1982/1983 Serie A season was won by A.S. Roma.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...

, scoring 7 times in 27 games, and creating countless more. Although Juventus's Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...

 finished as top scorer in the league, and despite Juventus beating Roma in both league games, he was acknowledged as the star man in Serie A this season, also performing well as Roma won through to the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup. At the end of this season, Falcão had earned the nickname "the 8th King of Rome".

It was tough to live up to that season, but the new campaign in 1983-84
Serie A 1983-84
The 1983/1984 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C. It was a tight championship, won only on the last day of the season.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:...

 saw Roma almost achieve that. Platini's all conquering Juventus side won the title from Roma who finished 2nd, but it was only won on the final day of the season, Falcão again impressing with 5 goals in his 27 games. Roma's main goal this season, however, was the European Cup
European Cup 1983-84
The season 1983–84 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by for a fourth time by Liverpool in a penalty shootout in the final against Roma. The game had finished 1–1. Phil Neal had scored for Liverpool and Roberto Pruzzo for Roma...

, especially as the final was to be played at Roma's own Olympic Stadium. He played every game as Roma swept past IFK Gothenburg, CSKA Sofia and Dynamo Berlin
Dynamo Berlin
Dynamo Berlin may refer to:* SC Dynamo Berlin, a multi-sports club in East Berlin from 1954 to 1991* Berliner FC Dynamo, an association football club separated out of SC Dynamo Berlin in 1966 and still extant...

 to reach the semi finals against Dundee United.

In a previous Serie A game, Falcão injured his knee
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...

, so missed the first leg of the semi final, as Roma lost 2-0 in Dundee. He returned for the 2nd leg as Roma won 3-0 to reach the final, but again injured his knee in the process. He was fit enough for the final against Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, but played poorly as Roma were eventually defeated on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with Falcão declining to even take a spot kick. This was a marked turning point in his relationship with the club, and the beginning of the end of his time in Rome. Roma again won the Coppa Italia, but despite nearly winning the treble, the mood around the city was not a happy one.

In season 1984-85
Serie A 1984-85
The 1984/1985 Serie A season heralded Hellas Verona's first and so far only Scudetto. Unusually, none of the big three of Juventus, AC Milan or Inter managed to finish in the top two...

, Falcão was more famous for his off field antics than his on field ones. Due to his knee troubles, he only managed 4 games and 1 goal in the league as Roma slumped to an abysmal 8th in the championship. He was also now linked to such glamorous women as Ursula Andress
Ursula Andress
Ursula Andress is a Swiss actress and a sex symbol of the 1960s. She is known for her roles as Bond girl Honey Ryder in Dr...

 and a bevy of socialites, and developed a play boy reputation (his mother and sister had already departed back to Brazil). Falcão then flew off to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 for an operation on his knee that was unauthorized by the Roma club doctors, and Roma then terminated his contract. He went back to Brazil after 5 years in Rome.

Falcão then signed a contract with São Paulo,. He retired from professional football after the 1986 World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...

.

International career

Falcão starred in the midfield of the fantastic Brazil 1982 team, along with Toninho Cerezo
Toninho Cerezo
Toninho Cerezo, real name Antônio Carlos Cerezo, is a former football player from Brazil.- Career :...

, Zico
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...

, Eder
Éder Aleixo de Assis
Éder Aleixo de Assis, was also known as Éder or Éder Assis , is a former Brazilian footballer. He played as a left winger and striker, most notably with Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, Clube Atlético Mineiro in the Campeonato Brasileiro and with the Brazilian national team...

 and Socrates
Sócrates
Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, MD, , more commonly known simply as Sócrates, is a Brazilian former association footballer....

, generally seen as one of the best teams not to win the World Cup. He started all the games, as Brazil beat Soviet Union 2-1, scoring the last goal as Brazil then beat Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

 4-1, and with another goal in the 4-0 win against New Zealand.

In the 2nd phase of the World Cup, his team obtained a 3-1 win against the World Champions Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...

, meaning that the Brazilians needed only a draw in their next game against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

 to advance to the semi finals. In this famous game, despite twice equalising, Brazil were beaten by a Paolo Rossi
Paolo Rossi
Paolo Rossi is an Italian former football striker. In 1982, he led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot/top scorer honors, and the Golden Ball. After his performance at the 1982 FIFA World Cup he became a hero in the hearts of all Italians...

 hat trick as Italy won 3-2. Falcão famously got the second equalising goal for Brazil against his adopted country with a lethal drive from the edge of the area, celebrating in a manner made more famous by Marco Tardelli when he scored in the final against West Germany. After the match, he was said to be so distressed that he wanted to give up football.

During this World Cup, he only managed to play in two games (coming on as substitute against both Spain and Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...

), not remotely hitting the heights of his form in 1982 as Brazil exited in the quarter finals against the French team of his old rival Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...

.

After muddling through a nondescript season for his club (although he helped to win the São Paulo State Championship in 1985), he managed to get a call up to the Brazil 1986 World Cup squad, mainly on reputation. After this World Cup, Falcão retired from football.

Coaching career

Falcão had a short career as a coach. From 1990 to 1991 he was the manager of the Brazilian national football team. His second and longest coaching experience was with América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....

 from 1991 to 1993. He also coached Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...

 in 1993. The Brazilian star,Falcao normally smokes roughly 10 sticks of cigarette before the end of 90 minutes of every international game which he has featured. He has done that during so many matches, which later leed to his quick retirement. After a brief hiatus, in 1994, he was the manager of the Japanese national football team. Falcão retired as a coach without having achieved anything significant with any of the teams he coached. However, in April 2011, after 16 years without managing a club, he was signed by Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...

, replacing Celso Roth
Celso Roth
Celso Juarez Roth, usually known as Celso Roth , is a Brazilian football manager.- Coaching career :...

.

Personal life

Falcão was born in Abelardo Luz, in the state of Santa Catarina of Southern Brazil. His mother Azize has Italian origins, from Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....

.

Media career

Falcão worked for many years as a football commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...

 for Rede Globo
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...

 and for its sports oriented branch SporTV
SporTV
SporTV is a Brazilian cable television network that has its programming based on all sports, launched in 1991 by Globosat. It's the most watched sports channel in Brazil.- Auto Racing :*Formula One *Stock Car Brasil...

.

Statistics

|-
|1971||rowspan="10"|Internacional||rowspan="10"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

||0||0||||||||||||
|-
|1972||0||0||||||||||||
|-
|1973||34||0||||||||||||
|-
|1974||21||2||||||||||||
|-
|1975||19||1||||||||||||
|-
|1976||15||5||||||||||||
|-
|1977||9||0||||||||||||
|-
|1978||27||5||||||||||||
|-
|1979||20||5||||||||||||
|-
|1980||12||3||||||||||||

|-
|1980/81||rowspan="5"|Roma||rowspan="5"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

||25||3||||||||||||
|-
|1981/82||24||6||||||||||||
|-
|1982/83||27||7||||||||||||
|-
|1983/84||27||5||||||||||||
|-
|1984/85||4||1||||||||||||

|-
|1985||rowspan="2"|São Paulo||rowspan="2"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

||0||0||||||||||||
|-
|1986||10||0||||||||||||
157||21||||||||||||
107||22||||||||||||
264||43||||||||||||
|}
|-
|1976||5||1
|-
|1977||4||0
|-
|1978||0||0
|-
|1979||5||1
|-
|1980||0||0
|-
|1981||0||0
|-
|1982||7||4
|-
|1983||0||0
|-
|1984||0||0
|-
|1985||0||0
|-
|1986||7||0
|-
!Total||28||6
|}

External links

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