His reputation in the boardroom may now lie in tatters, but that shouldn’t detract from Michel Platini’s genius on the field. With a strike rate of 232 goals in 581 appearances for club side Botafogo, it’s little wonder that even with his obvious shortcomings he still managed to attain heroic status. And after Pele got injured during their 1962 defence of the trophy, it was Garrincha who almost single-handedly steered the team to a second successive victory. His phenomenal dribbling skills were just as instrumental as Pele’s goalscoring prowess to the nation’s World Cup success in 1958. But the right winger dubbed the Bent Legged Angel (he was born with a deformed spine and curved legs) was responsible for some of the most joyous moments in Brazilian soccer history. ![]() Something of a tortured genius, Garrincha’s turbulent private life-14 children by five different women, reports of domestic abuse and financial troubles, the alcoholism which eventually led to his death in 1983-inevitably overshadowed his talents on the pitch.
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