Dirceu

1970/72 Coritiba (BRE) 26 games, 1 goal

1973/75 Botafogo (BRE) 52 games, 9 goals

1976 Fluminense (BRE) 22 games, 2 goals

1977/78 Vasco de Gama (BRE) 25 games, 2 goals

1978/79 América (MEX) 45 games, 2 goals

1979/82 Atlético Madrid (ESP) 84 games, 18 goals

1982/83 Hellas Verona (ITA) 31 games, 2 goals

(Italian Championship: 29 games, 2 goals)

(Italian Cup: 2 games)

1983/84 SSC Napoli (ITA) 30 games, 5 goals

1984/85 Ascoli (ITA) 27 games, 5 goals

1985/86 Como (ITA) 25 games, 2 goals

1986/87 Avellino (ITA) 23 games, 6 goals

1987/88 Vasco de Gama (BRE) 19 games, 3 goals

1988 Miami Sharks (USA) 17 games, 5 goals

1989/91 Ebolitana (ITA) 39 games, 14 goals

1992 Benevento (ITA) 11 games, 4 goals

1995 Atlético Yucatán (MEX)

With the National Team :

27 caps, 4 goals

(Friendly matches: 13 caps, 1 goal)

(World Cup qualifiers: 2 caps)

(World Cup: 12 caps, 3 goals)

1st cap: June 13, 1973 against Austria (1-1)

Last cap: May 7, 1986 against Chile (1-1)

Unofficial: 11 caps, 1 goal

Olympic: 3 caps, 2 goals

José Guimarães Dirceu

Born June 15, 1952 in Curitiba (BRE)

Died September 15, 1995 in Rio de Janeiro (BRE)

Brazilian, Attacking-Midfielder, Left-Winger, 1m72

Dirceu was born on June 15, 1952 in Curitiba, Brazil. He began his career at Coritiba and made a promising debut that sent him to Botafogo where he took on another dimension by joining the Brazilian national team at only 20 years old.

He then followed up with a transfer to Fluminense before joining Vasco De Gama, playing for 4 clubs in 8 years. On the eve of the 1978 World Cup, Dirceu was in competition with Rivelino, Zico and Falcão to know who would play in the number 10 position for Brazil. The latter would ultimately be inexplicably not present during this World Cup despite being considered at the time perhaps the best Brazilian.

It was finally Rivelino who started the competition despite a drop in level and a return from injury. Dirceu then took the place of understudy to the Brazilian legend but Rivelino's difficulties in establishing himself again in the team and the disappointing draw against Sweden made Dirceu become the starter and playmaker for Brazil.

Against Peru, Dirceu would have one of the best matches that a player has had in the World Cup, 3 shots, 2 shots on target, 2 goals scored, 92% of successful passes, 3 key passes and 3 interceptions. Dirceu established himself in the squad and repeated against Argentina with a very good match.

His match against Poland was not as good but he made up for it in the match for 3rd place. Yes, already the match for 3rd place, at that time, the format of the World Cup being different. This World Cup will also be controversial because the host country, Argentina, postponed the match between Peru and Argentina to know the result of Brazil - Poland. Many accusations of cheating revolve around the competition and its organization.

His match against Italy is great, 1 goal scored, 1 key pass, 3 blocked shots, 5 successful dribbles, 16 ground duels won, 3 fouls on him and 5 interceptions. Dirceu will have been the very great playmaker of this Brazil 1978 which finished in 3rd place. Dirceu finished in the tournament's team of the year and finished 3rd best player of the competition. He also finished 3rd best South American player of the year 1978.

Dirceu was a left-footed attacking midfielder, who could also play left winger. He had excellent vision, superb technique, combining precise dribbling and passing, and he was a very good free-kick taker. In addition, he had a very good ability to make defensive efforts, with his high volume of play he will have left his mark in 1978 by recovering many balls. Dirceu will also have participated in the 1974 and 1982 World Cups as a substitute.

His club career is a little less exceptional, not by the clubs he will have spent (having notably made the biggest Brazilian clubs, Atlético Madrid and Naples SSC), but by his sparse record.

He will have also been pushed towards the exit at Napoli by the arrival of Maradona the following summer upon his arrival. He thus continued with small Italian clubs before finally returning to Brazil, then leaving for the USA and returning again to Italy to finally finish his career in Mexico.

Despite everything, we should not underestimate the impact he had on the game of his teams, he will have notably allowed the clubs of Como and Avellino to achieve the best seasons of their history, Como finishing 8th in Serie A and Avellino reaching the semi-finals of the Italian Cup.

Dirceu is also considered as one of the rare footballers to have maintained a very good level throughout his career. At 34 years old as at 25, he still seemed as strong. It should also be known that if he had not been injured before the World Cup 86, he would have participated, proof of his great regularity and longevity.

He finally retired from top-level football in 1992 at the age of 40 before continuing to play football for club Atlético Yucatán in Mexico and it was only a tragic road accident that would take his life and end his football career at the age of 43.

- Voted 3rd best South American footballer of the year in 1978

- Voted 3rd best player of the World Cup in 1978

- Named in the typical team of the tournament of the World Cup 1978

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