RIVELINO Best Speciall Left Foot

NEWS BY FIFA,COM

As absured as it no doubt sounds to Corinthians fans, the uniquely gifted Roberto Rivelino has always been a diehard supporter of arch Sao Paulo rivals Palmeiras, a devotion he shared with the rest of his family.

A futsal player in his formative years, it was as a 16-year-old that Rivelino would first come to prominence. Appearing for Banespa against his beloved Palmeiras in a Sao Paulo state juniors final in 1962, he turned on such a stylish display that a member of the Verdão board called him to offer him a trial.

Rivelino accepted and completed a couple of training sessions before it all turned sour. Turning up for a third time, he was standing with a group of other young hopefuls when coach Mario Travaglini approached them. “Listen lads, you can get changed if you want,” said Travaglini, “but I’m not sure you’re going to be doing any training.”

Convinced of his abilities, particularly with his exceptional left foot, Rivelino angrily declined the offer and stormed out, never to return. Within a few short months he had joined the youth set-up at Corinthians.

One club’s loss became another’s gain. Standing head and shoulders above his fellow young pretenders, the temperamental teenager was a unique talent that required careful nurturing. Recognising this, Corinthians granted Rivelino the opportunity he had been looking for, an opportunity he would seize to become quite possibly the greatest player ever to pull on the Timão jersey.

“Corinthians welcomed me with open arms and gave me the chance to achieve everything I achieved in life,” he would later comment. “It was a second home for me.”

Reaching the pinnacle
The greatest of those achievements would come in the yellow and green of Brazil, most notably at the 1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico™. Prior to that, however, Rivelino had to serve his apprenticeship, and after breaking into national side in 1965, he would have to wait another three years before becoming a familiar face in the squad.

The reason for that was Brazil’s embarrassment of attacking riches at the time. Despite his burgeoning reputation as one of the most accomplished players in the land, the up-and-coming No10 found his path to regular international football blocked by the likes of Tostao, Jairzinho and the peerless Pele.

It was only when Mario Zagallo came in replace Joao Saldanha as Brazil coach just months before Mexico 1970 got under way that Rivelino’s became an integral part of the side. Changing the formation, Zagallo found a niche for the Corinthians star on the left side of attack, where, sporting the No11 jersey, he linked up to perfection with his no-less talented team-mates.