Athletico 100 years: Alessandro, the centaur

“Go up, Alessandro. Humiliate him”, shouted a late companion in the stands. For many, football is this bloodless bullfight. In Brazil, in particular, the move that most moves the fans is the disconcerting dribble.

In England, for example, it is the corner that ends an entire collective culture of the game, but here we want to see the opponent on the ground. In the four years he was a full-back at Athletico, Alessandro gave it to the people.

Combining cunning with strength like a centaur, Alessandro was the greatest specialist in dribbling the cow who has ever played in contemporary Baixada. It touches one side, comes out the other and goes up; one two, he didn’t even see it, it already disappeared in the fog.

He wore the Atleticana shirt from 2000 to 2004 in 178 games. In one of them he gave, perhaps, the most important assist in history: the pass to Alex Mineiro to equalize 2-2 in the 2001 Brasileirão final, against São Caetano, minutes after we won the victory.

He had arrived at the club the previous year with an important investment. He waited for his opportunity until the arrival of delegate Antônio Lopes. He took advantage of it with great performances in the 2000 João Havelange Cup.

Lopes left CAP to take over supervision of the National Team and Alessandro was called up in 2001 for the Copa América and participated in some World Cup qualifying matches (somehow, he is also five).

That year, it was also one of our weapons to win the title. In an unusual twist of fate, he returned to the club in 2015 to maintain his shape and said goodbye to football to the applause of the Baixada that was so thrilled with his humiliating half-moons.