João Saldanha

João Alves Jobin Saldanha (3 July 1917 – 12 July 1990)[1] was a Brazilian journalist and football manager. He coached the Brazil national football team during the South American Qualifying to the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Nicknamed João Sem Medo (Fearless João) by Nelson Rodrigues, Saldanha played for Botafogo. He then started a career in journalism and became one of Brazil's most prolific sports columnists. He often criticised players, managers and teams, and was a member of then-illegal Brazilian Communist Party (Partido Comunista Brasileiro – PCB).[2]

João Saldanha

Personal information
Full name	João Alves Jobin Saldanha
Date of birth	3 July 1917
Place of birth	Alegrete, Brazil
Date of death	12 July 1990
Place of death	Rome, Italy
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
?	Botafogo	?
Teams managed
1957–1959	Botafogo
1969–1970	Brazil
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Biography and career

In 1957, Botafogo appointed him as their coach, despite his lack of managerial experience. The club won the Rio state championship that season,[2] but Saldanha resigned from the club in 1959.[3] In 1969, he was invited to take charge of the national team, and led them to a perfect 6-0 record. It is alleged that soccer federation president João Havelange appointed him in the hope that journalists would be less critical of the national team if one of their own was in charge.[2]

Saldanha was publicly criticised by Dorival Yustrich, coach of Flamengo. Saldanha responded by confronting him while brandishing a revolver. Saldanha was said to have fallen out of favour because of his unwillingness to select players who were personal favourites of President Emílio Garrastazu Médici, in particular striker Dario (Brazil was then a military dictatorship).[2] It is reported that Saldanha, after being told that President Médici would be pleased to see Dario in the team, answered, "well, I also have some suggestions to give in the President's ministry choices". The last straw came when the assistant manager resigned, saying that Saldanha was impossible to work with.[2]

Afterwards, Saldanha went back to his journalistic career, even covering the 1970 and 1974 World Cups for TV Globo[4][5] and the 1986 and 1990 World Cups for TV Manchete.[6][7] The day after commenting the semifinals match between Italy and Argentina, Saldanha was admitted into the Sant'Eugenio Hospital, in Rome, with respiratory problems, and died eight days later.[6]

Honours

Botafogo

• Campeonato Carioca: 1957

Legacy

Starting from 2004, the winners of the second turn of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, are awarded with the "Troféu João Saldanha", given by the Brazilian newspaper Lance!.[8]

References

1. Birth/death info at sambafoot.com
2. Alex Bellos (June 2003). "Ask Alex anything about Brazilian football..." Futebol: The Brazilian way of life. ofutebol.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
3. Alex Bellos (July 2003). "Ask Alex anything about Brazilian football..." Futebol: The Brazilian way of life. ofutebol.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
4. Felipe dos Santos Souza (June 3, 2018). "A Copa na televisão brasileira: 1970" (in Portuguese). Trivela.com. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
5. Felipe dos Santos Souza (June 4, 2018). "A Copa na televisão brasileira: 1974, quando o país viu o Mundial a cores" (in Portuguese). Trivela.com. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
6. Felipe dos Santos Souza (June 8, 2018). "A Copa na televisão brasileira: 1990, dramas financeiros e pessoais" (in Portuguese). Trivela.com. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
7. Felipe dos Santos Souza (June 7, 2018). "A Copa na televisão brasileira: 1986, com a concorrência grande" (in Portuguese). Trivela.com. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
8. "Troféu Lance" (in Portuguese). Lance!. Archived from the original on 2013-10-30. Retrieved August 29, 2009.

Further reading

• João Maximo: João Saldanha: sobre nuvens de fantasia. Ediouro Publicações, ISBN 8573164085