Athletico 100 years: Altevir Salles, the record holder

In the Atletico centenary hourglass, the longest time a goalkeeper has remained without conceding goals is 17 hours and 46 minutes. The feat took place between June and August 1977, when Altevir Salles defended the red-black citadel. In the club where some of the greatest idols and legends wore gloves, the feat remains absolute and extraordinary.

In total, there were 11 complete matches, plus a few minutes of the game in which the goal was finally leaked, in addition to Atletiba’s extra time that decided the first round of the state competition, won by Furacão with a goal from striker Cabral.

It was 1066 insurmountable minutes, enough time to walk from Curitiba to Antonina or watch each film in the Godfather trilogy twice, by filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola who, incidentally, saw a game in Baixada in 2003.

While Altevir kept the “clean sheets” with the help of the Belga defense and Gilberto (and Alfredo Gottardi on the bench), fans and the press raised the hope of breaking the world record which, at the time, was the 1605 minutes without goals conceded by goalkeeper Jorge Reis, from Rio Branco (ES).

It didn’t. Altevir was beaten by center forward Itamar, from future champion Grêmio Maringá, on August 28th, in a packed Willie Davids. But the goalkeeper with the yellow shirt, long hair and mustache à la Benito di Paula remained in the history of his favorite team.

Hired in 1972, Altevir knew how to wait his turn and became a starter for Furacão in the first major campaign in Brazilian championships in the year of the club’s fiftieth anniversary. His friend Sicupira always highlighted his ability to play with his feet and his agility and coolness under the three posts. At 75 years old, Altevir Guilhem de Salles is still in Curitiba and supporting Athletico.

List of Altevir’s undefeated games at CAP in 1977

06/25/77 – Atlético 1 x 0 Londrina
06/29/77 – Atlético 6 x 0 Mourãoense
07/03/77 – Coritiba 0 x 0 Atlético
07/10/77 – Atlético 1 x 0 Colorado
07/13/77 – Atlético 0 x 0 Matsubara
07/17/77 – Iguaçu 0 x 0 Atlético
07/20/77 – Atlético 0 x 0 Coritiba – Extra time: Atlético 1 x 0 Coritiba
07/31/77 – Atlético 0 x 0 União Bandeirante
07/08/77 – Matsubara 0 x 1 Atlético
08/14/77 – Colorado 0 x 0 Atlético
08/17/77 – Atlético 1 x 0 Iguaçu