For me, my memory in footballing terms means I am young, I do not remember Pele, Maradona, George Best, I do not remember great managers like Brian Clough, George Graham, Sir Matt Busby. But as I saw the news that Eusebio had passed away, at 71 years of age, I remembered the quotes from people who did remember him, the grainy clips on the internet, they both made me stop in awe. You can define his brilliance when you realise that watching all of his goals, all 733 of them, would take around 4 hours.
Eusebio was one of the first African-born football players. Born on January 25th 1942 in Lourenco Marques, Mozambique he played football with a rolled-up newspaper. He and a few friends created a local amateur side Os Brasileiros (The Brazilians). After a while playing for the Brazil 1950 tribute side, he and the same few friends attempted to sign up for a local pro side Grupo Desportivo de Lourenço de Marques, who he supported and who were a Benfica feeder club. Eusebio and his few friends were rejected from the side so they moved on, attempting to sign up for Sporting Clube de Lourenço Marques, who accepted him. Playing for Sporting, he was noticed by a former Juventus keeper, who was scouting the area, "When I was 15, Juventus of Italy, wanted to hire me, because one of their scouts, who had been a famous Italian goalkeeper for them, saw me and told them that there was a boy with a potential, that it would be good to take advantage while I was still unknown. Juventus proposed but my mum never wanted to hear anything from anyone". With Sporting Clube de Lourenco Marques he played in the youth team most weeks, sporadically making first team appearances. There he won the Campeonato Provincial de Moçambique and the Campeonato Distrital de Lourenço Marques in his last season, in 1960.
News of his footballing talent traveled across the globe and reached Bela Guttmann, manager of Portuguese club, Sport Lisboa e Benfica Club, known better as Benfica by the British contingent. He moved to Lisbon when he 18, signing from Benfica after being recommended by former Benfica player José Carlos Bauer, who saw him in Lourenço Marques in 1960. One thing that caught his eye was the fact that Eusébio could run the 100m in 11 seconds. There was a small rift between Benfica and Sporting Lisbon for his signature, Sporting insisted they owned first option on him because he came from their feeder club while Benfica didn’t think this was important. Eusebio himself said: "I used to play in Sporting's feeder club in Mozambique. Benfica wanted to pay me in a contract to go while Sporting wanted to take me [to Portugal] as a junior player for experience with no monetary reward. Benfica made a nice approach. They went to speak to my mum, my brother, and offered €1,000 for three years. My brother asked for double and they paid it. They signed the contract with my mother and she got the money"
Eusebio made his first team debut for Benfica in 1961, at 19 years of age. Nowadays you continually see Manchester United or Arsenal or Barcelona or Real Madrid bring out their youth in big games but back then, it was less common. Despite him not having the build of other stars in the Portuguese league at 19 years old, he surprised his opponents and his team-mates with his quick burst of speed, his quick moving feet that took the ball past many a player and his quick powerful shot. He was a new player of speed and power and no one had any idea how to stop him. The fans looked on in shock, despite Mozambique being a Portuguese colony, Europeans had yet to witness this magic turn of speed and powerful shot that we still often see from players brought up in Africa. And they admired him, they named him ‘Pantera Negra’, ‘Black Panther’ and others named him ‘Perla Negra’, ‘Black Pearl’.
Just a year after making his debut, Eusebio played in the 1962 European Cup Final, at 20 years old, he scored twice, going on to win the European Football Player of the Year (Now known as the Balon D’or) 3 years later, in 1965. All these feats are stunning, but the ’66 World Cup; that was special.
After scoring twice to knock out the reigning Champions, Brazil, he put 4 past North Korea, snatching them back from 3-0 down to send them through. He was carrying the entire of Portugal on his shoulders, and he didn’t stumble. At 23 years old he smashing them past some of the best keepers in the World. People were surprised when he scored just once against England, that speaks volume for itself. England went on to win the competition after knocking out Eusebio’s Portugal in the semi-final but in the consolation 3rd.4th match, Eusebio scored once more, taking his tally to nine, against the Soviet Union. Despite not leading his side to the ultimate glory of the World Cup he made a long lasting impression on the footballing World, scoring 9 goals in the campaign.
2 years after the World Cup, Eusebio won the Golden Boot as Europe’s top scorer, and then against 5 years on, in 1973. He helped Benfica to win 11 Primeira Liga titles before ending his 14 year spell with the club in 1975. He spent most of the remainder of his career in North America, mainly with Toronto who he led to Soccer Bowl victory in 1976, retiring 3 years later in 1979.
He was one of the first black players to be known as one of the best players in the World, and even the fans back in England admired him, despite them regarding him as ‘different’.
He finished 9th in the International Federation of Football History and Statistics; poll of the 20th century’s top players. To Benfica fans, Portugal fans, and football fans in general he is known as Portugal’s most influential star, Portugal’s biggest star in the history of football in the country. This has earned him, a statue of him, pride of place outside Benfica’s stadium Estadio da Luz.
Benfica honoured him further by creating the Eusebio cup in 2008. An annual final in pre-season where Benfica face a highly regarded side for the trophy.
Despite illness in December 2011 and several more set-backs following it, Eusebio managed to get to Benfica’s Europa League Final in 2013 in Amsterdam.
Rest in Peace Eusebio. The Black Pearl, The Footballer of the 60’s.
Written by Harry Robinson - @MrHarryRobinson, I hope if you lived through his career, you feel this is an apt
Eusebio was one of the first African-born football players. Born on January 25th 1942 in Lourenco Marques, Mozambique he played football with a rolled-up newspaper. He and a few friends created a local amateur side Os Brasileiros (The Brazilians). After a while playing for the Brazil 1950 tribute side, he and the same few friends attempted to sign up for a local pro side Grupo Desportivo de Lourenço de Marques, who he supported and who were a Benfica feeder club. Eusebio and his few friends were rejected from the side so they moved on, attempting to sign up for Sporting Clube de Lourenço Marques, who accepted him. Playing for Sporting, he was noticed by a former Juventus keeper, who was scouting the area, "When I was 15, Juventus of Italy, wanted to hire me, because one of their scouts, who had been a famous Italian goalkeeper for them, saw me and told them that there was a boy with a potential, that it would be good to take advantage while I was still unknown. Juventus proposed but my mum never wanted to hear anything from anyone". With Sporting Clube de Lourenco Marques he played in the youth team most weeks, sporadically making first team appearances. There he won the Campeonato Provincial de Moçambique and the Campeonato Distrital de Lourenço Marques in his last season, in 1960.
News of his footballing talent traveled across the globe and reached Bela Guttmann, manager of Portuguese club, Sport Lisboa e Benfica Club, known better as Benfica by the British contingent. He moved to Lisbon when he 18, signing from Benfica after being recommended by former Benfica player José Carlos Bauer, who saw him in Lourenço Marques in 1960. One thing that caught his eye was the fact that Eusébio could run the 100m in 11 seconds. There was a small rift between Benfica and Sporting Lisbon for his signature, Sporting insisted they owned first option on him because he came from their feeder club while Benfica didn’t think this was important. Eusebio himself said: "I used to play in Sporting's feeder club in Mozambique. Benfica wanted to pay me in a contract to go while Sporting wanted to take me [to Portugal] as a junior player for experience with no monetary reward. Benfica made a nice approach. They went to speak to my mum, my brother, and offered €1,000 for three years. My brother asked for double and they paid it. They signed the contract with my mother and she got the money"
Eusebio made his first team debut for Benfica in 1961, at 19 years of age. Nowadays you continually see Manchester United or Arsenal or Barcelona or Real Madrid bring out their youth in big games but back then, it was less common. Despite him not having the build of other stars in the Portuguese league at 19 years old, he surprised his opponents and his team-mates with his quick burst of speed, his quick moving feet that took the ball past many a player and his quick powerful shot. He was a new player of speed and power and no one had any idea how to stop him. The fans looked on in shock, despite Mozambique being a Portuguese colony, Europeans had yet to witness this magic turn of speed and powerful shot that we still often see from players brought up in Africa. And they admired him, they named him ‘Pantera Negra’, ‘Black Panther’ and others named him ‘Perla Negra’, ‘Black Pearl’.
Just a year after making his debut, Eusebio played in the 1962 European Cup Final, at 20 years old, he scored twice, going on to win the European Football Player of the Year (Now known as the Balon D’or) 3 years later, in 1965. All these feats are stunning, but the ’66 World Cup; that was special.
After scoring twice to knock out the reigning Champions, Brazil, he put 4 past North Korea, snatching them back from 3-0 down to send them through. He was carrying the entire of Portugal on his shoulders, and he didn’t stumble. At 23 years old he smashing them past some of the best keepers in the World. People were surprised when he scored just once against England, that speaks volume for itself. England went on to win the competition after knocking out Eusebio’s Portugal in the semi-final but in the consolation 3rd.4th match, Eusebio scored once more, taking his tally to nine, against the Soviet Union. Despite not leading his side to the ultimate glory of the World Cup he made a long lasting impression on the footballing World, scoring 9 goals in the campaign.
2 years after the World Cup, Eusebio won the Golden Boot as Europe’s top scorer, and then against 5 years on, in 1973. He helped Benfica to win 11 Primeira Liga titles before ending his 14 year spell with the club in 1975. He spent most of the remainder of his career in North America, mainly with Toronto who he led to Soccer Bowl victory in 1976, retiring 3 years later in 1979.
He was one of the first black players to be known as one of the best players in the World, and even the fans back in England admired him, despite them regarding him as ‘different’.
He finished 9th in the International Federation of Football History and Statistics; poll of the 20th century’s top players. To Benfica fans, Portugal fans, and football fans in general he is known as Portugal’s most influential star, Portugal’s biggest star in the history of football in the country. This has earned him, a statue of him, pride of place outside Benfica’s stadium Estadio da Luz.
Benfica honoured him further by creating the Eusebio cup in 2008. An annual final in pre-season where Benfica face a highly regarded side for the trophy.
Despite illness in December 2011 and several more set-backs following it, Eusebio managed to get to Benfica’s Europa League Final in 2013 in Amsterdam.
Rest in Peace Eusebio. The Black Pearl, The Footballer of the 60’s.
Written by Harry Robinson - @MrHarryRobinson, I hope if you lived through his career, you feel this is an apt