In 1963, a player agent tries to sell Garrincha to an Italian club and criticizes Botafogo's attitude for having lost an opportunity with the player Cané.
Two letters from José de Gama to Botafogo and Renato Estelita, accompanied by an envelope and a press article in Italian. Two sheets, two pages.
In Portuguese (except the article, which is in Italian).
17 cm x 27 cm.
Rome, December 1, 1963.
Excellent condition of conservation.
Single set.
José de Gama was a player agent, and these two letters, sent on the same day to Botafogo and Renato Estelita in the same envelope, show how he worked, using two famous examples: the players Garrincha and Cané.
In 1963, Garrincha began to suffer more intensely from physical problems, especially with his knees. These injuries, which had been accumulating over the years due to his aggressive and skillful style of play, began to significantly affect his performance on the field. Garrincha underwent knee surgeries that, unfortunately, failed to fully restore his physical condition. His performance began to decline, and he was no longer the decisive player he had been before. Although he was still respected and admired, the 1960s marked the beginning of the decline of his career, which had reached its peak during the 1958 and 1962 World Cups, in which he played a crucial role for Brazil.
In his personal life, 1963 was also a turbulent year for Garrincha. He separated from his first wife, Nair Marques, with whom he had several children. At the end of that year, he began a romantic relationship with the famous singer Elza Soares, which caused quite a bit of controversy at the time. His alcohol abuse also damaged his relationship with Botafogo, which began looking for a buying club. Juventus and Internazionale tried to acquire the player, with Inter almost closing the deal, but the Nerazzurri club was unable to sell its foreigners for a good price.
What about Cané? The Brazilian player known as Cané, who played in Italy in the 1960s, was Roberto Pinto. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he began his career in Brazilian football before moving to Italy, where he made a name for himself. Cané is best known for his time at Napoli, where he played from 1962 to 1969. He was one of the first Brazilian players to make it big in Italian football and became a key figure at Napoli, where he was admired for his technical ability, speed and goal-scoring ability. During his time in Italy, Cané helped Napoli establish themselves as one of the most respected clubs in Serie A.
I love these letters that tell important facts about history, in this case, the history of sports. They help us understand how negotiations between legendary players were carried out, in a very simple way, as is still the case today: it was all a matter of networking and money, opportunities and rules to be respected (more or less). A vibrant written testimony of the careers of two great stars of Brazilian football, Garrincha and Cané.
