In the minds of many French people, the name of Mario Zagallo is often associated with the Beus victory at the 1998 World Cup, against Brazil, which he led. But, beyond this defeat, “the professor” above all played a key role in four of the five world titles won by the Seleçao. As a player, he won two trophies: in 1958 in Sweden and in 1962 in Chile. On the bench, he then guided the Seleçao to the supreme title in 1970 in Mexico and was assistant coach during the 1994 coronation in the United States.
Mario Zagallo died Friday at the age of 92, we learned on his official Instagram account. “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of our eternal four-time world champion Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo,” we read in the brief statement. A devoted father, a loving grandfather, a caring father-in-law, a loyal friend, a successful professional and a great human being. A great idol. A patriot who leaves us a legacy of great achievements. »
A tactical genius
Only the legendary German Franz Beckenbauer (1974 as a player and 1990 as a coach) and Deschamps, after the 2018 coronation of the Blues in Russia, have managed to imitate him. Zagallo, whose statue sits in front of the Nilton Santos stadium in Rio, has little exported his talent. Only for the lucrative sirens of the Gulf, between 1976 and 78 to coach Kuwait, then in 1989-1990 with the United Arab Emirates whom he qualified for their only World Cup, contested without him, dismissed before the tournament for stories of bonuses.
A tactical genius, he was the first to set up a 5-3-2 formation capable of transforming into a 3-5-2 in attack. Recalled in 2003 to prepare, as technical coordinator, the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he put a definitive end to his career when Brazil came out in the quarter-finals against France (1-0), once again beaten on a Zidane recital.