Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo is known for being the first person to win the World Cup on four occasions, achieving that feat in different roles: he did so as a player, manager, and assistant.
However, behind every story of success, there are also moments of failure. The ‘Velho Lobo’ (Old Wolf) was not the exception, as he had to go through challenging times at certain moments of his wonderful career.
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Just like the most significant part of his legacy has to do with the World Cup wins, Zagallo’s three biggest failures also came in that tournament.
The first big blow in his career may have been the 1974 World Cup, when Brazil got knocked out in the second group stage at the hands of the Netherlands, therefore failing to defend their title from Mexico 1970.
That ended Zagallo’s stint at the helm of the Seleção, and it took him more than a decade to return to the national team.
Zagallo em uma palavra, seria "referência". Em 1970, comandou o time que encantou o mundo. Hoje, veste a camisa que homenageia essa conquista e inspira os novos craques da próxima geração.@nikefootball #NadaPodePararAGente pic.twitter.com/h1jve4AuPc
— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) November 8, 2020
After helping Brazil get back to the top in 1994 as the team’s technical coordinator, Zagallo ended up getting the managerial job back after Carlos Alberto Parreira’s exit. But it didn’t end well this time. After dealing with criticism for leaving Romário out of the 1998 World Cup, the coach sparked controversy by starting Ronaldo in the final, despite the striker initially being pulled out as he suffered a seizure shortly before the match. Brazil lost 3-0 to France, marking the end of Zagallo’s head coaching stint at La Verdeamarela.
His reputation remained untouched though, and the Old Wolf was back on the Seleção’s bench for the 2006 World Cup as an assistant to Parreira. However, Brazil fell short of expectations by losing 1-0 to France in the quarterfinals.
Needless to say, this does not take away from everything Zagallo has accomplished throughout his life. But it helps to explain how even the most successful legend in World Cup history also had his moments of failure.
Zagallo documentary by Sambafoot
Sambafoot Series has launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo’ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays – as a player and as a coach. The first episodes are available in Sambafoot’s Youtube channel and the series will receive weekly releases to tell this legend’s life story.
