Coutinho (footballer, born 1943)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Vieira and the second or paternal family name is Honório.

Coutinho
Coutinho depicted on a football card in 1962
Personal information
Full name Antônio Wilson Vieira Honório
Date of birth (1943-06-11)11 June 1943
Place of birth Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
Date of death 11 March 2019(2019-03-11) (aged 75)
Place of death Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
XV de Piracicaba
1957–1958 Santos
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1958–1968 Santos 457 (368)
1968 Vitória ? (1)
1969 Portuguesa ? (1)
1970 Santos ? (1)
1971 Atlas
1971–1972 Bangu ? (3)
1973 Saad ? (1)
International career
1960–1965 Brazil 15 (6)
Managerial career
1981 Santos
1985 Valeriodoce
1987 Comercial-SP
1987 Aquidauana
1988 Santo André
1992 Valeriodoce
1992 São Caetano
1993 Bonsucesso
1995 Santos
Medal record
Men's Football
Representing  Brazil
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1962 Chile
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Antônio Wilson Vieira Honório (11 June 1943 – 11 March 2019), nicknamed Coutinho, was a Brazilian coach and footballer who played as a forward for Santos Futebol Clube, where he was a teammate and one of the best partners of Pelé, and became a member of the Brazil national team that won the 1962 FIFA World Cup. He is considered one of the greatest strikers in the history of Brazilian football with 368 goals in 457 matches[1][2] even though he prematurely ended his football career before the age of 30 due to knee problems. His main virtues as a striker were coldness and precision in finishing, the ability to dribble in tight spaces and a keen awareness of team play, which allowed him to make several one-two passes with Pelé in the midst of opponent defenses. In Brazil, during his time as a player, he received the nickname "genius of the small area" many years before other great Brazilian striker Romario. Pelé himself declares that "Coutinho, within the area, was better than me. His coldness was something supernatural".

Early years

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Born in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo in 1943 he was son of Antônia and Waldemar Honório. His start in football occurred in an unusual way, after fleeing his home in Piracibaba, in the countryside of São Paulo, to pursue his dream to become a professional football player. Coutinho was spotted at the age of 13 by Santos' coach Luís Alonso Pérez ("Lula") in a preliminary match of XV de Piracicaba against Santos in his hometown. After being praised by Santos FC players during that match he decided travel to Santos and try his chances in becoming a professional football player for Santos. He borrowed some money and a suitcase and left Piracicaba directly to Santos, 231 km from his hometown. The day after his arrival in Santos, his father arrived desperately in Santos from Piracicaba and went to pick him up to go home. His father (Mr Waldemar Honório) didn't want to hear about it and left with his son directly to the bus station. They embarked back home, but the Santos FC board of directors placed an emissary following the bus by car. And, at the first stop, they convinced Coutinho's father that football was a good investment in the future. And that was how Coutinho returned to Santos, starting his career in professional football.[3] One year later he became part of the Santos' lower division.[1] At the age of 13 years and 11 months, Coutinho debuted as a professional player, a record never broken for any other players.[4]

Club career

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Coutinho debuted on Santos' professional team on May 17, 1958, still at the age of 14, in a match in Goiânia, against Sírio Libanês Futebol Clube. Coincidentally, the score was the same as the debut of his legendary partner Pelé, which had happened almost two years before: a 7–1 victory for Santos. And, like Pelé, Coutinho also scored one of Peixe's goals in his first match for the club's adult squad.

Coutinho (left) with Norberto Madurga and Pelé before a Boca Juniors v Santos match in Mar del Plata, 1970

In a game at the Olympic Stadium, journalists and people at the stadium reported seeing one of the most beautiful goals in the history of football. Pelé received the ball in the midfield on his head and quickly passed it to Coutinho, who also with his head, gave it back to Pelé. And after a few more head-only passes the attacking players approached the opponent's box, without the ball touching the pitch. In the final moment, with only the goalkeeper in front of him, Coutinho could have finished the amazing combination himself with a goal, but he saw Lima coming from behind and adjusted to pass, once again with his head, and allowed Lima to score. This goal left the opponents Grêmio fans standing up, applauding a majestic goal combination between two maestros of the ball.

Coutinho, in addition to resembling Pelé with his style of playing, also had physical characteristics similar to Pele. Therefore, a legend arose that the player started to wear a white ribbon on one of the arms, to help distinguish them. Regarding this urban legend, Coutinho said this: "For a short while, when I made a beautiful move, they said it was Pelé, when I missed a pass or a shot, it was Coutinho". In 2007, in an interview on the TV show "Juca Entrevista" (ESPN), with the journalist Juca Kfouri, he revealed why he used the prop: "I had a small wrist injury and started wearing a band for a while of adhesive tape. But as soon as the pains ended, I took it off."

From 1958 to 1970, he wore the shirt of Santos, winning 19 titles and scoring 368 goals in 457 matches. In this period, he won alongside Santos FC five Taça Brasil and seven Campeonato Paulista titles, two Copa Libertadores, and two Intercontinental Cups.

Coutinho has been named the greatest Santos' player after Pelé, with whom he formed an effective attacking duo with 1461 goals scored (370 by Coutinho).[5][6] Coutinho also holds a mark of respect against one of Santos' main rivals, Corinthians. In 12 years of classics he played, he never lost a game. In the year that the taboo was broken, in 1968, Coutinho no longer worked for Santos.

After his tenure at Santos, he also played for Vitória of Bahia, Portuguesa of São Paulo, and Atlas of Mexico.[1]

International career

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Coutinho with the Brazil national team while drinking a coffee on the pitch in 1962

Coutinho made his first match for the Brazil national team in Uruguay, against the home team. He was only just 17 years old and was the starter in that match valid for the Atlantic Cup.

At the international level, Coutinho earned 15 caps and scored 6 goals with the Brazil national football team between 1960 and 1965. He was meant to be a starter in the 1962 FIFA World Cup squad, but he was sidelined by injury just before the tournament and did not appear, even though he remained in the squad. Brazil went on to win the title.[1]

In his book, Coutinho, o Gênio da Área, Carlos Fernando Schinner states that João Saldanha tried to convince Coutinho to return to Brazil national football team few months prior to the 1970 FIFA World Cup in order to replace Tostão who was Brazil's main centre-forward at that time and had suffered a major injury putting in doubt his participation on that World Cup. Coutinho, who at that time was semi-retired and overweight, refused the invitation.[4]

Death

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Coutinho died on 11 March 2019 in Santos, São Paulo. His death was caused by a myocardial infarction due to diabetes and hypertension. Coutinho's health had been deteriorating in recent months, and in January he had been hospitalized for pneumonia.[2][6][7][8]

Career Statistics

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Club Season Campeonato Paulista Torneio Rio – São Paulo Campeonato Brasileiro Série A International Competitions Total
Copa Libertadores Intercontinental Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Santos FC 1959 27 28 8 7 5 3 40 38
1960 12 10 8 1 - - 20 11
1961 23 20 11 9 5 6 39 35
1962 21 32 - - 5 7 6 6 2 2 34 47
1963 16 13 5 4 4 3 4 3 3 0 32 23
1964 13 11 9 9 4 3 0 0 26 23
1965 16 13 2 3 3 1 3 2 24 19
1966 8 9 2 0 0 0 10 9
1967 2 0 0 0 2 0
1968 - - 0 0 - -
Total 138 136 45 33 26 23 13 11 5 2 227 205

Honours

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Club

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Santos FC

International

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Brazil

Individual

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Notes
  1. ^ a b c d Not official competitions.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Morre Coutinho, ex-atacante de Santos e seleção brasileira". UOL (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Coutinho, ídolo do Santos e campeão mundial pelo Brasil, morre aos 75 anos". ESPN Brasil. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  3. ^ "O eterno menino da Vila : Em 1963, Coutinho calou o Boca em Buenos Aires; hoje Kaio Jorge tenta fazer o mesmo".
  4. ^ a b Doro, Bruno; De Almeida, Napoleão. "Simplesmente Coutinho". UOL (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  5. ^ Source: "Gazeta Esportiva . Net - Ídolos" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Ídolo do Santos e campeão do mundo em 1962, Coutinho morre aos 75 anos". Globo.com (in Portuguese). 11 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Coutinho, ídolo santista e campeão Mundial de 62, morre aos 75 anos" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Lance!. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Brazil World Cup winner Coutinho dies, age 75". ESPN.com. 12 March 2019.
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