He was the epitome of Brazilian football! The samba dribbles, the long passes, and the unique bullet volleys! And he is not legend Pele!
A football phenomenon bigger than Pele; Arthur Friedenreich a.k.a. ’The Tiger’ prowled the fields and scored 1329 goals in 1239 games, or as his detractors (read Pele fans) would comment, 1239 goals in 1329 games. We don’t know which!
But his greatest contribution to Brazilian football was the kind of revolutionary changes that he introduced into it. In fact, he adopted the English football that came with industrialization and unlearned it! He weaved into it the Brazilian identity of vital rhythms, fiery speed, smart dodges and of course, the devastating finish.
Prior to him football was a science. With and after him, it became an art!
A predecessor of Garrincha and Pele, Arthur Friedenreich was an inter-continental cross; his father was a German business man and his mother, an Afro-Brazilian. Still, he had the features of a white man and thus could play football. (In the early twentieth century in Brazil, the blacks were not allowed to play football!). And he lived it! He cherished the game in his green eyes, until he lost his grey cells to Alzheimer’s disease.
Born in 1892, the prodigy was showing in the early years. On records, he started off in1909 with a club of German immigrants named Germania. Three years later he was the top scorer in Sao Paulo League with 16 goals to his credit! The conqueror in him emerged. He had an empire to build…
In 1919, he played a key-role in Brazil’s winning of Copa America. His boots were deemed divine, in that they were exhibited in a jewel shop in Rio after a lengthy day of celebrations and showing around! It was the pinnacle of his career. Later on, in 1927, the ‘Latin America’s Sweet Heart‘and the “Green Eyed Mulatto Dancer” was proclaimed “The King of Football” by European media. He became Brazil’s first superstar footballer! And possibly the best player in the planet!
With the fame, came money. He was generous with his cash especially in clothing and drinking.
But, he was found in tatters when the then Brazilian President, Epitacio Pessoa decreed that only white players should play in a Copa America cup to be held in Argentina. Argentina was then a predominantly white country. Clearly, the President did not want to displease his neighbour by sending across a black; that too a talented one! Naturally, Arthur was consumed by grief. All these years he had been playing for Brazil in the capacity of a white man and then…!
However, this watershed incident had a good side to it. It sowed the seeds to end the racial discrimination in football!
In 1969, when Arthur passed away he left behind a legacy and a mystery. The mystery outweighing legacy! To this day, no body knows for sure, if he scored 1329 goals in 1239 games, or 1239 goals in 1329 games. Only his father and a best friend knew. They had together, carefully documented his scores. But on the death of his friend Andre in the 60’s, the documents vanished into yet another mystery. By the time some reporters approached Arthur for definite clarification, a winning penalty from Alzheimer’s had scored against him!
And with Pele’s rising, the oblivious man was as good as forgotten! How Sad !
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