One of game's finest players, who has died aged 71, had that rare quality of sportsmanship and epitomised the way football should be played.
It was actually a moment when Eusebio did not score that embodied the essence
of the great Portuguese forward, who has passed away aged 71.
It was the moment when Benfica’s No 10 ran through the middle of Manchester
United’s defence in the 1968 European Cup final at Wembley, shot from 15
yards and was denied by Alex Stepney’s fine save. Eusebio reacted by
saluting his opponent.
It was actually more than a salute. Eusebio patted Stepney on the back as the
goalkeeper climbed to his feet. He tapped him respectfully on the nape of
his neck. He stepped back to allow Stepney to throw the ball out and then
applauded the keeper.
As Stepney retreated to his goal-line, Eusebio gave him a thumbs-up. It was an
astonishing moment partly because, the score being 1-1, Stepney had just
prevented Benfica from winning the game in normal time.
Eusebio could have been frustrated, could have cursed his luck, instead he
acknowledged the qualities of an opponent. “I’m somebody who has always been
a believer in fair play,’’ Eusebio reflected years later.
He was more than a prolific goalscorer, more than a European Footballer of the Year and more than a European Cup-winner. Eusebio epitomised the way the game should be played, with energy, precision, adventure, technique and, that rare quality, sportsmanship.
He was more than a prolific goalscorer, more than a European Footballer of the Year and more than a European Cup-winner. Eusebio epitomised the way the game should be played, with energy, precision, adventure, technique and, that rare quality, sportsmanship.
When encountered in recent years, he remained as humble as ever, modest about
his magnificent playing achievements. Benfica held off Sporting Lisbon in
the fight to sign the lad from Mozambique, paying Sporting Lourenco-Marques
£7,500.
Such was the anger of Sporting, who had links with the selling club, that Benfica kept Eusebio hidden in an Algarve village until the situation calmed. When Eusebio emerged, he scored a hat-trick on his 1961 debut and the rest is history.
The numbers reflect his brilliance as a goalscorer: 733 times in 745 games. He scored 41 times in 64 Portugal appearances, including nine at the 1966 World Cup.
Winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1965, Eusebio would have won successive European Footballer of the Year trophies but for the Portuguese journalistic representative casting his vote for Bobby Charlton, who prevailed by 81 points to Eusebio’s 80.
The variety of Eusebio’s finishes was phenomenal. There were headers, there were free-kicks, including one against United in 1966 from such a long range that Stepney’s predecessor, Harry Gregg, told his players he did not need a wall. Eusebio promptly drilled the ball in.
He would run on to a Jose Torres knock-down for Benfica and finish with a thunderbolt. Eusebio’s strength allowed him to bend a ball far heavier than the flighty modern versions.
He was lightning quick, able to escape quickly from opponents, also possessing that balance to glide through and score. He had to withstand man-marking, notably the rugged, incessant attentions of Nobby Stiles at the 1966 World Cup and also the 1968 European Cup final. He never complained.
The quality of the man was summed up well by his compatriot, Jose Mourinho, speaking after Chelsea’s win at Derby County on Sunday. “For you, Eusebio is one of the greatest footballers of the history of football, especially for people from our generation and older than us,’’ said Mourinho. “He’s at this level. Eusebio, Charlton, Pele.
“For Portugal he means more than that. No colour, no clubs, no political sides. For Portuguese people Eusebio is Eusebio and for sure you will get some images over the next couple of days and I think you will understand what Eusebio means for our country.”
More than a footballer, Eusebio was an ambassador for the nation, an icon and sporting beacon.
“I know him since I was a kid,’’ continued Mourinho. “He played against my father [Felix]. He played with my father in the national team. I met him when I was a kid. Our birthdays were separated by one day. His Jan 25, I’m Jan 26. Every year when I was a kid he was sending me a shirt, a ball, a boot.
“The last time I met him was in Ukraine in the Euros, already after his first heart surgery. But he enjoyed his life, on the pitch, outside the pitch and I’m not so sad as I was in the morning because I think guys like him never die. History doesn’t let them die. He leaves a great legacy. So rest in peace.’’
Such was the anger of Sporting, who had links with the selling club, that Benfica kept Eusebio hidden in an Algarve village until the situation calmed. When Eusebio emerged, he scored a hat-trick on his 1961 debut and the rest is history.
The numbers reflect his brilliance as a goalscorer: 733 times in 745 games. He scored 41 times in 64 Portugal appearances, including nine at the 1966 World Cup.
Winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1965, Eusebio would have won successive European Footballer of the Year trophies but for the Portuguese journalistic representative casting his vote for Bobby Charlton, who prevailed by 81 points to Eusebio’s 80.
The variety of Eusebio’s finishes was phenomenal. There were headers, there were free-kicks, including one against United in 1966 from such a long range that Stepney’s predecessor, Harry Gregg, told his players he did not need a wall. Eusebio promptly drilled the ball in.
He would run on to a Jose Torres knock-down for Benfica and finish with a thunderbolt. Eusebio’s strength allowed him to bend a ball far heavier than the flighty modern versions.
He was lightning quick, able to escape quickly from opponents, also possessing that balance to glide through and score. He had to withstand man-marking, notably the rugged, incessant attentions of Nobby Stiles at the 1966 World Cup and also the 1968 European Cup final. He never complained.
The quality of the man was summed up well by his compatriot, Jose Mourinho, speaking after Chelsea’s win at Derby County on Sunday. “For you, Eusebio is one of the greatest footballers of the history of football, especially for people from our generation and older than us,’’ said Mourinho. “He’s at this level. Eusebio, Charlton, Pele.
“For Portugal he means more than that. No colour, no clubs, no political sides. For Portuguese people Eusebio is Eusebio and for sure you will get some images over the next couple of days and I think you will understand what Eusebio means for our country.”
More than a footballer, Eusebio was an ambassador for the nation, an icon and sporting beacon.
“I know him since I was a kid,’’ continued Mourinho. “He played against my father [Felix]. He played with my father in the national team. I met him when I was a kid. Our birthdays were separated by one day. His Jan 25, I’m Jan 26. Every year when I was a kid he was sending me a shirt, a ball, a boot.
“The last time I met him was in Ukraine in the Euros, already after his first heart surgery. But he enjoyed his life, on the pitch, outside the pitch and I’m not so sad as I was in the morning because I think guys like him never die. History doesn’t let them die. He leaves a great legacy. So rest in peace.’’
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