CBF declares 7-day mourning for Zagallo’s death – 01/06/2024 – Sports

With a photo next to Pelé. This is how Santos paid tribute on their social networks to Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo, whose death was announced early this Saturday morning (6), at the age of 92.

“Our King Pelé awaits you in the sacred kingdom. Thank you for everything, Velho Lobo”, says an excerpt from Santos’ tribute on the social network X, the former Twitter.

Zagallo won three World Cups with Pelé. In 1958 and 1962 they were teammates on the field. In 1970, as a coach, he led the Tri team in Mexico, which had the King as number 10.

Pelé died just over a year ago, on December 29, 2022.

On its website, the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) published a long text about the trajectory of one of the most important names in the history of the Brazilian team — he participated in four of the five World Cups won by Brazil.

The entity that controls national football declared seven days of mourning and a minute of silence in all games in the first round of the Qualifiers for the Copa do Nordeste, which begins this Saturday.

“The CBF and Brazilian football mourn the death of one of its legends, Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo. The CBF offers solidarity to his family and fans in this moment of sadness at the departure of this idol of our football”, stated the president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, in the text.

A few minutes after the death was announced, by the family and also on social media, several tributes began to be published.

Botafogo, Zagallo’s first club as coach, in 1966, shortly after hanging up his boots, labeled the former player and former coach as one of their greatest idols.

“Botafogo regrets the departure of one of its greatest idols, a champion as a player and coach, with a victorious and notable CV,” wrote the Rio club.

Flamengo, where Zagallo won his first title as a player, the 1953 Rio State Championship, recalled that “Eternal Zagallo” has 13 letters, in a reference to Velho Lobo’s superstition in relation to his favorite number.

“He left us a hero who shaped the history of Brazilian football. Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo enters eternity as a revolutionary, a historical pillar of the sport”, wrote Flamengo. “Brazilian sport has a pioneer and a record holder in four-time world champion Zagallo. Flamengo has a historic idol in Zagallo. Thank you for so much, Velho Lobo!”, says another excerpt of the text.

Another great from Rio, Fluminense published a photo of Zagallo with the tricolor shirt and recalled that he was champion for the club — he led Flu to the state title in 1971, as coach.

Also from Rio de Janeiro, Bangu recalled that he was the team’s coach in 1988. “We didn’t win titles, but it was very important for me, truly glorious, to work at Bangu”, says an excerpt from Zagallo’s interview reproduced by the club.

Other clubs in the country paid tribute to Zagallo earlier this morning, such as Atlético Mineiro, which published a photo of the former coach, now elderly, kissing a Brazilian team shirt, with the number 13.

Among politicians, Márcio França, Minister of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise and Small Business, wrote that Zagallo meets King Pelé, Ayrton Senna and other Brazilian sporting idols who marked an era here.