Athletico 100 years: Ricardo Pinto, the martyr

The photo of Ricardo Pinto being carried in Laranjeiras is my vote for the most dramatic image of the centenary. The goalkeeper’s blood staining his shirt at chest level where minutes before he was hitting to celebrate the great comeback victory over Fluminense, the team that revealed him, was also that of each one of us.

The battle of Laranjeiras had many culprits and victims. Among these, the pride of the Atletico fans, the real hope of a title for that magical team and the career of the goalkeeper and then the fans’ main idol. I remember the interview in which he said that the fascination he had with football since he was a boy ended there.

Espírito Santo goalkeeper Ricardo Pinto had arrived the previous year to be one of the leaders of the group that would win Series B. Charismatic and communicative, he became one of the faces and one of the main voices in Athletico’s transformation.

Having played for major Brazilian clubs, he had the role of extolling the professionalism and structure of the club nationally. And he did his job as well as his real job in the small area with plastic and ornamental defenses and a lot of spirit.

In another historical scene, Ricardo Pinto was following the demolition of Baixada when he had the idea of ​​taking a piece of the bricks home. It was the spark for a sensational marketing campaign by the club, which distributed pieces of the sacred cauldron among members.

Not everyone remembers that, in 2001, Ricardo Pinto was part of the technical committee preparing Flávio, his reserve in 1995. Thus, the two guapos are the only ones who won both Brazilian Championship titles with Furacão.