ADIEU, DOCTOR SOCRATES

But then again they just might cut a little slack to the larger-than-life midfield maestro, who died aged 57 on Sunday. For Socrates, with his almost-telepathic vision and ability to unlock a defence with either foot, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Throw in his stylish Bjorn Borg-style headband […]

But then again they just might cut a little slack to the larger-than-life midfield maestro, who died aged 57 on Sunday.

For Socrates, with his almost-telepathic vision and ability to unlock a defence with either foot, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

Throw in his stylish Bjorn Borg-style headband and beard combos, the man born as Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira became the symbol of cool for a whole generation of football supporters.

But then Socrates was never a stereotypical footballer. With philosophical views as strong as his famous Classical Greek namesake, he was never unduly worried about expressing his opinion and became almost as well-known for his political opinions and activism as for his football.

The two passions famously came together as part of the Corinthians Democracy movement in the mid-1980s, when towards the end of Brazil’s military dictatorship, the Sao Paulo club became the only one in the world run on a democratic basis, as a symbol of rejection of the military regime.

Most Brazilian footballers of his age were likely to have named predecessors such as Pele or Garrincha as their idols. Not so Socrates.

His heroes included famous libertarians Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, the men who led the Cuban revolution of the 1950s, and ex-Beatle and anti-war protestor John Lennon.

Like the trio mentioned, Socrates felt getting involved in politics was something he felt an obligation to do.

The qualified doctor, who refused to play football professionally until he completed his studies aged 25, practised medicine in the Brazilian town of Ribeirao Preto when he hung up his boots in 1989.

On the pitch he was the heartbeat of Brazil’s national side in his early 1980s prime, but agonisingly saw his dreams of becoming the fourth Brazilian captain to lift the World Cup burnt out in the 1982 tournament.

The competition was meant to mark arrival of the flamboyant Samba stars, led by their swashbuckling captain, back at the top table of world football.

Brazil cruised through the first group stage with an attacking  swagger, beating Scotland 4-1.

The great Brazilian footballer Socrates never played for a Spanish club, which was little surprise as he told Brazilians that he wouldn’t play for any foreign club until his country was granted democracy.

He’d started a democratic movement based on “justice and fairness” when he played for Sao Paulo club Corinthians, but given that democracy didn’t happen until 1985, Socrates was nearing the end of his distinguished career.

He finally went to Italy and played for Fiorentina because living in Florence appealed, though he was annoyed that he was asked to train when he wanted to see museums or just have a drink and a cigarette. He lasted a season.

Spain was where he played arguably his greatest game in one of the best matches the world has ever seen. Socrates was the captain of the 1982 Brazil side who were favourites to win the World Cup.

He’d become more serious about his football after his studies and qualifying as a doctor had taken priority. He didn’t like it when Brazil arranged friendly games against rivals like Argentina when he had exams.

Socrates wasn’t engrossed in football like some players, he was just very good at it – despite the self-imposed handicaps of smoking Malboro cigarettes, not wearing shin pads and seeing nothing wrong with a drink the night before a game.

Talking to Andy Mitten of The Guardian, a couple of years ago, about that clash in 1982 with Italy in Barcelona as he glugged red wine, Socrates said: “People still say it was the greatest ever game in a World Cup finals. We had an exhilarating side with players like Falcao, Eder and Zico – who remains the best I ever played with. We’re still friends.

“We had won our group games against Russia, Scotland and New Zealand.

We beat our old rivals Argentina 3-1. Pele or Maradona, that’s what people ask me. I played against the artist Maradona a few times and I was always on the winning side. Pele, Cruyff, Maradona, Garrincha – they are the best ever. There are no players of that level now.

“Italy were next and they’d beaten Argentina too. Whoever won went through to the semi-finals. We played in the Barcelona sun, not at giant Camp Nou, but the old Espanyol ground, with open stands so close to the pitch that we could smell the people. They were waiting for a big game, 44,000 souls crammed into the steep stands. People watched from nearby tower blocks.

“Brazil v Italy. I felt relaxed. I’d tried to stop smoking for the World Cup finals. I was a doctor – still am – and know that smoking is not good for anyone, not least a professional athlete. But I enjoyed it too much and still do. That’s me.

“(Paolo) Rossi scored for Italy. Five minutes. I equalised. Twelve minutes. He scored again, Rossi, 25 minutes. We were playing a man, not a country. We equalised, Falcao, 68 minutes. Rossi, yes him again, scored again after 74. We lost the game. Italy won the World Cup.

“Some say that we were the greatest side never to win the World Cup.

They tell us that to this day and talk more about us than my brother’s side which won the tournament in 1994.”

Socrates’s younger, Rai, was captain of Brazil in 1994. One family, two Brazil captains more than a decade apart.

“Our loss to Italy was not simple,” he explained. “It was like achieving the conquest of the most beautiful woman in the world, but then being unable to do what matters with her. Failing when it really matters. But it can happen, in life and in sport.

“People remember our team because we lost, not won. Nobody tried to copy Italy, the pragmatic team which the World Cup. The beautiful team, with the art and creativity, lost. The team with the perfect emotional, physical and technical balance lost.

“And the Italian team coach blocked us in outside the tight stadium in Barcelona. All we wanted to do was go home. We had to wait for the celebrating Italians to board their bus in their own time. Our bus was quiet. And then a player shouted: “Don’t worry everyone. It’s all a dream. The game is actually tomorrow!” And part of me believed it. We wanted to believe it. Because people want to believe and to dream, especially in football.”

Things did not improve for Socrates four years later as he missed a penalty in their quarter-final shoot-out defeat by France.

However, his laid-back attitude to life, which was reflected in his effortless style of play, had already endeared him to millions of supporters, not just in Brazil but across the world.

Socrates was married with six children. Before the illness which led to his death, he was giving seminars about leadership and human relations. He also had a consultancy for social and cultural projects and wrote columns for newspapers and magazines. He was writing a fictional book about the 2014 World Cup.

In 2004, at the age of 50, he accepted an offer to spend one month with English non-league team Garforth Town. He made his only appearance as a late substitute against Tadcaster Town.

“When I named one of my sons Fidel, my mother said ‘that’s a bit of a strong name to give a child’. ‘Mother,’ I said, ‘look at what you did to me’,” he joked before his death.

Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira certainly made a name for himself.