 Heleno de Freitas in Botafogo | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1920-02-12)12 February 1920 | ||
| Place of birth | São João Nepomuceno, Brazil | ||
| Date of death | 8 November 1959(1959-11-08) (aged 39) | ||
| Place of death | Barbacena, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1927–1931 | Mangueira | ||
| 1931–1935 | Madureira | ||
| 1935–1936 | Botafogo | ||
| 1936–1939 | Fluminense | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1939–1948 | Botafogo | 235 | (209) |
| 1948 | Boca Juniors | 17 | (7) |
| 1949–1950 | Vasco da Gama | 24 | (19) |
| 1950 | Atlético Junior | 15 | (9) |
| 1951 | Santos | 0 | (0) |
| 1951 | América | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 292 | (244) | |
| International career | |||
| 1944–1948 | Brazil | 18 | (19) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Heleno de Freitas (12 February 1920 – 8 November 1959) was a Brazilianfootballer who played as aforward.
De Freitas was born into a rich Brazilian family in São João de Nepomuceno, in the state of Minas Gerais, on 12 February 1920. Prior to becoming a footballer, he was looking to pursue a career as a lawyer, and even obtained a law degree. He began playing beach football in amateur tournaments. He was signed by Botafogo at the age of 15.[1][2]
De Freitas spent most of his club career withBotafogo, scoring 209 goals in 235 matches for the club, most with his head. In 1948 he transferred toBoca Juniors in Argentina, but returned to Brazil the following year, winning the1949Campeonato Carioca withVasco. He also had a spell in Colombia withAtlético Junior, before ending his career withAmérica inRio, after a very short stint atSantos;[3] he played only one match for America, on 4 November 1951, during which he was sent off after only 25 minutes of play for insulting his teammates, and it was his first and last game in theMaracanã.[1][2][4]
De Freitas scored 19 goals in 18 appearances forBrazil between 1944 and 1948 (a rare average of more than one goal per game) as the team finished runners-up in both the1945 and1946Copa América championships. He was joint top goalscorer in the 1945 edition of the tournament, alongside ArgentineNorberto Doroteo Méndez, with six goals. He was left off of the Brazilian team that took part at the1950 FIFA World Cup on home soil, however, as he was considered to be past his prime.[1][4]
Described as a "tall and elegantstriker" by Christopher Atkins ofBleacher Report,[4] and as "Brazil'sPelé in the 40s" and "the prince of Rio" by Jonathan Wilson ofThe Guardian,[2] De Freitas is regarded as one of the most talented footballers of all time, and was known for his entertaining playing style, although he was also a perfectionist and a highly competitive player, who often served as acaptain. Despite his temperament, he struggled to cope with pressure at times, and had difficulties with controlling his nerves and temper, which occasionally led him to commit rash challenges; moreover, he was notorious for his lack of discipline, poor work-rate, inconsistency, and rebellious character, which caused him problems with his managers, teammates, opponents, and officials, and as a result, he was frequently sent off and suspended throughout his career due to his involvement in several controversial incidents and altercations. His problems in his personal life andbohemian lifestyle off the pitch also had a negative impact on his performances in his later career.[1][2][4][5][6]
He started out playing on the beach as a hard–tacklingcentraldefender or as acentraldefensive midfielder in his youth; however, during his time with theFluminense youth side, his manager Carlo Carlomagno decided to deploy him as acentre-forward, in order to limit his possibility of committing fouls and being booked.[7][8]
He excelled in this new attacking role, due to his speed, technique, vision, passing, intelligence, positioning, ability to read the game, heading, and accurate finishing ability with his feet, which made him a prolific goalscorer. Although he primarily played upfront, he was often known for dropping intomidfield in order to retrieve the ball, as he preferred to play with the ball at his feet. He was also known for his ability to lose his markers and get into positions from which he could receive the ball and shoot, as well as his ability to play with his back to goal.[1][6][9][10][11] Heleno was later nicknamedThe Cursed Prince.[11]
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De Freitas was married to Ilma; the pair eventually split, and she went on to marry Heleno's best friend.[2][11] Throughout his career, he was notorious for his turbulent lifestyle off the pitch; he was known to be a womaniser, and would often stay out all night and spend the evenings inballrooms. He also smoked, drank, and was known for gambling. Moreover, he struggled with drug addiction as well as mental health issues. He died from complications related to late-stage, untreated syphilis in 1959 ina sanatorium in Barbacena, at the age of 39.[1][2][4][11]
A biography of de Freitas,Nunca houve um homem como Heleno (There was never a man like Heleno), by Marcos Eduardo Neves, was first published in 2006. The title of is a reference to his mocking nickname "Gilda". He was nicknamed afterRita Hayworth's iconic character in theeponymous film due to his good looks and hot temper; the poster for the film included the caption "There never was a woman like Gilda".[11][12][13][14] During his time playing in Colombia, De Freitas metGabriel García Márquez, who was a young journalist at the time; regarding De Freitas, Márquez commented: "As a football player, Heleno de Freitas could blow hot and cold. But he was more than just a centre-forward. He was a permanent opportunity for others to speak ill of him."[2] InColombia a Colombian writer and sports reporter Andrés Salcedo wrote a Book namelyEl día en que el Fútbol Murió: Triunfo y tragedia de un dios (meaning: "The day when football died: Triumph and tragedy of a god") including Heleno de Freitas as the main character.[15][16][17]
In 2012, Brazilianfilmmaker José Henrique Fonseca released a film based on the life of Heleno de Freitas. The film was titledHeleno and starsRodrigo Santoro as Heleno de Freitas.[18] The film's focus is more on Heleno de Freitas' personal life, particularly his decline intoether addiction and mental illness, rather than presenting his achievements on the football field.[2]
Botafogo
Vasco da Gama
Santos
Brazil
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