Monday, April 6, 2020

Brazilian footballers who shared names with historical figures

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Marlon Brando (Marlon Brandão) as Mark Anthony (Marco Antônio)  
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Brazil All-Time Team
Sao Paulo StateRio de Janeiro
North/Northeastern BrazilSouth/Southeastern Brazil
Brazilian-born players capped by other national teams
Afro-Brazlian Players
Brazil All-Team Under Mari Zagallo
Brazil All-Time Team before 1958
Brazil 1982 with Careca,etc
It's Miller/Muller time
All Diegos Team
Italian players with surname ending with an "i"
Ronaldo, Ronald, Ronnie, Ron, etc All-Time team
50 Brazilian Greatest Players (26th to 50th)

I started this blog team because of two passions of mine, football and history.  So this is about Brazilian footballers with the same names as historical figures. I chose Brazilian footballers because Brazilian footballers have a tradition of using nicknames and I found many interesting Brazilian nicknames with connections to history.

In Brazil, the use of a first name or nickname is a mark of intimacy.  They are used in all settings.  In Portuguese tradition, a person has long names - so nicknames are used because of convenience.   Brazilian football is famous for its colorful nicknames.  Pele, Cafu, Zico, etc are a few of the iconic nicknames. 

I tried my best to find names that are recognizable instantly as a connection to a historical person.  For example, Lincoln, Washington or Mozart stood out.  I decide not to use Wilson or Madison because the surnames are too common.  The name is not connected to single figure immediately. But I took Jefferson because of the lack of a goalkeeper.  And I also do not use the same name twice.  For example, so I only selected a single Washington.  The selection of a particular players is based upon the position and/or the player's level of play. Except "Elvis" or "Dante", I do not use first names. Most first names cannot be linked to a single historical figure

Although this is a all Brazilian team, I am taking 25 players as if it is a club team.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.  
Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln are featured here, but I have Franklin Roosevelt instead of Theodore.
Team
GK: Julio Cesar 
Julio Cesar was awarded the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year title in both 2009 and 2010.  He won the Champions' League with Inter Milan in 2010.  He won 87 international caps for the Seleção between 2004 and 2014. He was selected for the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups, in addition to two Copa América tournaments. Unfortunately, he was remembered for a few poor performance for Brazil at the WC Finals.
Julius Caesar is spelled Júlio César in Portuguese
GK: Jefferson
Having begun his career at Cruzeiro, Jefferson then spent 4 seasons in Turkey playing for Trabzonspor and Konyaspor before returning to Botafogo. He is among the players with the most appearances for Botafogo club history. He made his senior debut for the Seleção in 2011 and was named in their squads for two Copa América tournaments, the 2014 World Cup and their victory at the 2013 Confederations Cup.

GK: Franklin 
Franklin's full name is Franklin Roosevelt Bueres Junior, commonly known as Franklin.  He was a futsal player, playing as a goalkeeper.  He was a part of Brazil team that won the 2008 and 2012 Futsal World Cup.  He also went to the 2000 and 2004 edition.  Besides playing for clubs in Brazil, he also played in Italy and Spain.  

RB: George Lucas Coser
George Lucas started his career in 2002 with Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense. After a short spell with Clube Atlético Mineiro, he moved back to Grêmio. In 2006, he joined Spain's Celta de Vigo and left in 2009.  After that, he played for many clubs, including stints with Santos and Braga in Portugal.

RB: John Lennon
Born in Araguaína, John Lennon started with Inhumas in 2008.  He played for clubs all over Brazil.  Some of the bigger clubs included Botafogo, Atlético Clube Goianiense, Cruzeiro, etc.  At the time of writing, he is with Juventude. His parents are Beatles and he was named after John Lennon. He played with Michael Jackson Adriano while with Atlético Clube Goianiense.

CB: Dante
After emerging at Juventude in 2002, Dante went on to play for Lille, Charleroi, Standard Liège and Borussia Mönchengladbach.  With Bayern Munich, he won the 2013 Champions' league, in a treble winning campaign.  He later played for Wolfsbug. Since, he is with Nice.  From 2013 to 2014, he played 13 times for Brazil.  He was a member of the 2014 World Cup team, where he played in the game against Germany.
Dante
CB: Gladstone
Gladstone started his caeer with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube at the age of 18.  He was with them from 2003 to 2009.  He had a brief spells with Juventus, Verona, Sporting SP, etc.  Later, he played mainly in the lower division in Brazil.  Gladstone was a member of the Brazil under-20 squad at the 2005 World Youth Championship in the Netherlands, taking home the bronze medal.  he received several senior callups, but never earned a cap.

CB/DM: Marco Aurelio (also known as Mehmet Aurelio)
Mehmet Aurelio as known "Marco Aurelio" in Brazil played with Flamengo and Olaria in Brazil before moving to Turkey.  He played for Trabzonspor, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş with a stint with Real Betis in between.  Born in Brazil, he chose to play for Turkey.  He earned 37 caps, playing at the European Championship in 2008.  He was also Turkish Player of the Year in 2007.

CM/CB: Mahatma Gandhi
Named after Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi joined Atlético Clube Goianiense. In 2011, he was a substitute on bench for a match of Serie A. He made seven Serie A appearances in 2012. In 2013, he played four matches for Serie B, but did not get a chance to play in 2014. He was part of the 2014 Campeonato Goiano winning team, where he made five appearances in the state league

LB: Marco Antônio
Marco Antônio started his career with Portuguesa de Desportos in 1968.  From 1969 to 1976, he played with Fluminense FC.  From 1976 to 1980, he was with Vasco da Gama.  Then, He played for Bangu and Botafogo.  He was named Bola de Prata twice. For the national team, he played 52 times. He was a member of the 1970 World Cup winning team.  He also went to the 1974 World Cup and  1979 Copa America.
Mark Antony is spelled as Marco Antônio in Portuguese
LB: Wellington
Wellington began his career in his home country with União São João in São Paulo. Following attention from various São Paulo (state) clubs, he then loaned for América-SP and Ituano and also loaned to the German Club Mainz in 2007.  He also played for C.D. Nacional, playing in the Europa League and FK Liepājas Metalurgs.

DM/CM: Augusto 
Augusto's full name is Augusto César dos Santos Moreira.  He started with Internacional.  In the summer of 2015 Augusto joined Persian Gulf Pro League club Tractor in East Azerbaijan on a one–year loan from Brazilian club Internacional.  He also played with Emirates Club and Sanat Naft Abadan F.C..  In 2011, he represented Brazil Under-20 team.

DM: Mozart
Mozart started his career with Paraná Clube, before moving to FC Bordeaux in 1998, although he did not play any games for them. He returned to play in Brazil for Coritiba and Flamengo, and then moved to Serie A's Reggina Calcio in 2000. From 2005 to 2009, he played for Spartak Moscow.  He also played for Palmeiras and Livorno.  Mozart was in the Brazil squad for the 2000 Summer Olympics.

LW: Kenedy  (full name Robert Kenedy Nunes Nascimento)
Born in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, Minas Gerais, Kenedy is named after Robert F. Kennedy. His full name is Robert Kenedy Nunes Nascimento.  He began his career with Fluminense. In 2015, he moved to Chelsea in England.  He was later on loan to Watford and Newcastle United.  At the time of writing, he is with Getafe on loan.  He has represented Brazil in the youth level.
Kenedy's full name is Robert Kenedy Nunes Nascimento 
CM: Elvis
Elvis started his career at Paraná Clube, with a one-year spell at Botafogo. He was quickly signed by Benfica in 2011.  After six months without competing, he joined União Leiria in Primeira Liga on a year-long loan deal. He later played with Tombense, América Mineiro, Red Bull Brasil, Botafogo, CRB etc.  At the time of writing, he plays for Cuiabá Esporte Clube.

AM/DM/CM: Cicero
Cícero pfeatured heavily in Fluminense's Copa Libertadores Campaign of 2008, in which they reached the Final.  From 2008 to 2010, he played for Hertha Berlin.  He also played for Wolfsburg, Sao Paulo, Santos, Al-Gharafa, Gremio, Botafogo, etc.  He was a part of the team that won the Copa Libertadores: 2017 with Gremio.

AM: Lincoln
Lincoln started his career with Atlético Mineiro.  In 2001, he headed to Germany, where he join Kaiserslautern.  He played for Schalke 04 between 2004 and 2007.  He was nominated as one of the five best players in Bundesliga 2006, by kicker.In 2007, he joined Galatasaray.  Later, he played for Palmeiras, Avai and Coritiba.  He only represented Brazil in the Under-23, largely due to playing at the same time as Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Juninho Pernambucano, etc.

RM/CM: Socrates 
Socrates was one of Brazil's greatest players. He earned over 60 caps between 1979 and 1986. He was the captain of 1982 and 1986 World Cup team. He was one of the best attack midfielders in Brazil's history.  In 1983, he was named South American Footballer of the Year.  He spent 7 seasons with Corinthians.  He went abroad in 1984, playing a season in Serie A with Fiorentina.  He was also a MD, earning the degree while he was an active player. His younger brother is Rai who also played for Brazil.
Socrates
AM/CM: Bismarck
Bismarck began his career in 1987 with Vasco da Gama. In 1993, he moved to Japan to play for the Verdy Kawasaki.  In 1997, he moved to Kashima Antlers. He was again selected for the league's Best Eleven award three times in Japan.  He also played for Fluminense, Goiás and Vissel Kobe.   He was the MVP at the 1989 World Youth Championship.  At senior level, he was capped 13 times. He won the Copa América in 1989, and went to the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

FW: Adriano Michael Jackson 
Also known as Adriano, he played for many Brazilian sides; Ceará, América, Esporte Clube Bahia, and Palmeiras.  In Palmeiras, he was a top scorer of the 2011 Copa do Brasil.  He then played in Asia for Dalian Shide, Daejeon Citizen, Shijiazhuang Ever Bright and FC Seoul. With FC Seoul, he was the AFC Champions League Top scorer: 2016.  He was also selected onto the K League 1 Best XI: 2015, 2016.

FW: Nixon
Nixon wasa a product of Flamengo.  He made his professional debut for Flamengo against Ponte Preta in the 2012 Campeonato Brasileiro.  He was with the club from 2012 to 2018, but he spent most his career with Flamengo on loan elsewhere.  He played America MG, ABC Futebol Clube, Red Bull Brasil and Kalmar, a club in Sweden.

FW: Washington
Washington played for many clubs.  In the 2002–03 season,  he was released by Fenerbahçe because of his health problems. Once recovered, physicians told him that playing football would not represent a risk to his condition. He then joined Atlético Paranaense where he was 2004 Série A top-scorer with 34 goals, He was dubbed Coração Valente, the title of the movie Braveheart in Brazil.  He was also the league top scorer in 2008 as well as the J-League top scorer in 2006.  He was capped 8 times.
Washington
FW: Marlon Brandão
Brandão played for four clubs in Brazil, competing in the Série A with Guarani and Santa Cruz. In 1987 he moved to Portugal where he played for Sporting CP, C.F. Estrela da Amadora and Boavista in 7 years. His best season came in 1990–91, when he scored 11 goals in 31 games to help Boavista to the fourth position in the Primeira Liga. He retired in 1994 at only 30, after a few months with Spanish side Real Valladolid.

ST: Michel Platini (Brazil)
Platini began his career with Brazlândia in 2002.  He later played for, Pachuca(Mexico), Gama, Araguaína, Grêmio Anápolis, South China (Hong Kong and Veranópolis, before moving to Chernomorets Burgas in Bulgaria.  In Bulgaria, his longest stint was with CSKA.  He also played for Dinamo București. As of March 2015, Platini is the second highest foreign goalscorer in the A PFG of all time.

FW: Leônidas
Leônidas da Silva was known as "Black Diamond" and considered the greatest Brazilian footballer before the war. He was credited to be the inventor of "Bicycle Kick".  He played in two World Cup  Finals: 1934 and 1938. He was the top scorer at the tournament in 1938.  He played for a number of clubs in Brazil and Penarol. His longest spells were with Vasco Da Gama and Sao Paulo.
Leônidas 
Historical Figures represented  
Goalkeepers: Julius CaesarThomas JeffersonFranklin Roosevelt 
Fullbacks: George Lucas, John LennonMark AntonyArthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington.
Centerbacks: Dante, Marcus Aurelius, William Ewart Gladstone , Mahatma Gandhi.
Midfielders:  Wolfgang MozartElvis Presley, Otto Bismarck, Robert KennedyAbraham Lincoln, Socrates, Augustus Cicero.
Fowards: Michael Jackson, Richard Nixon, Michel Platini,
Marlon Brando, George WashingtonLeonidas I.

Honorable Mention
I decided not to create honorable mentions because many players shared the same names.  I have a lot of Jeffersons, Lincolns, Washingtons and Marco Antônios.  Besides, this team is not about skills and decorations.  It is about "names" only.

Squad Explanation
-- I decided not to use the same names twice.
--  I also considered this Julio Cesar (Juventus and Borussia Dortmund) and Wagner.   
-- There are many Brazilian players named Washingtons.  The Washington I selected is probably better than most other Washingtons in Brazil.  I also considered this Washington, a player known as the "New Pele", but he never lived up to the bill. 
-- I selected  that Wellington because I needed a leftback. I also considered this Wellington.  The Duke of Wellington is not a real name. It was a title created in 1814 for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Marquess of Wellington.  Everyone should associate the name or title to this single historical figure.
-- I really wanted to select attack midfielder Marx Lenin.  Technically speaking, he is not a single historical person.
-- I came up with Madison and Wilson (US Presidents), but they are too common to be linked with a single historical person. There are a few players named Wagners, but the surname Wagner is very common. 
-- Jefferson is also a common surname.   The name is not instantly connected to a single historical figures.  However, I do not have enough players if I don't take him.  I have many other football playing Jeffersons, but I selected a goalkeeper. Kenedy (Kennedy) is also common surname, but his full name is Robert Kenedy Nunes Nascimento.  Franklin's full name is Franklin Roosevelt Bueres Junior,
-- Julio Cesar is a common name for footballers.  I actually do not find his name with a strong connection to Julius Caesar, but Julio Cesar is the Portuguese and Spanish spelling of Julius Caesar.   Furthermore, I need a goalkeeper.  I took him over defender Julio Cesar, formerly of Juventus and Borussia Dortmund because I need a goalkeeper more than a defender.
-- The Portuguese and Spanish spelling of  Mark Antony and Augustus are also Marco Antônio and Augusto respectively.  I found this footballer named Augusto whose full name is Augusto César dos Santos Moreira.  Cleo is also a short for Cleopatra, but I decided against selecting this Cleo 
-- Mark Antony was an ally of Julius Caesar and the main rival of his successor Octavian (later Augustus).  Cicero was a rival for both Mark Antony and Julius Caesar.  He was later betrayed by Augusto and was killed by Mark Antony.  Cícero the footballer played with Fluminense. 
-- Marlon Brando the actor played Mark Antony in the 1953 film "Julius Casear".  I also selected Marlon Brandão the footballer.
--  Mehmet Aurelio was known as Marco Aurelio in Brazil before going over to Turkey adopting a Turkish name.  Marco Aurelio is the Portuguese spelling for Marcus Aurelius.  
-- I do not know if Mahatma Gandhi is a centerback.
-- For rightback, I was choosing between Madison and George Lucas Coser, but Madison is very common surname.  People do not immediately identified the name as James Madison or anyone in history.  I ruled out Madison.
-- I also kept John Lennon over Píndaro (the footballer).  Píndaro the Greek poet was not as well-known as John Lennon.
-- I know Franklin is common name, not directly associated to a historical figure, but Franklin's full name is Franklin Roosevelt Bueres Junior.  He was a futsal player, but he should be able to handle a 11 vs 11 edition of the game. He was also on the same Brazil futsal team as another goalkeeper named Schumacher.  
--  I have Michael Jackson, Elvis and John Lennon on this team along with Mozart.  Adriano Michael Jackson also goes by Adriano.  He played with John Lennon and Mahamata Gandhi at Atlético Clube Goianiense in 2013. Brazil has another player named Michael Jackson, but the player is a female player.  I decided to separate the sex. Creedence Clearwater Couto went by the name Paulista.  Anyway, it is the name of a band. not a person.  I also found a footballer named Gênesis.  
-- Hulk and Ben-Hur are fictional characters. 
--The name Alex is too common to be associated with a single historical figures.  Malcom and Leonardo are also not close enough to be connected to Malcom X and Leonardo Da Vinci respectively. On the other hand, Elvis and Dante are used regularly without the surname to describe the two historical persons.
--  The name Leônidas is closely associated with Leônidas I.  The name is rare enough to be recognizable as a single historical figure.  
-- I also ruled out Mazzola, but I took Michel Platini (Brazil).  Michel Platini is another level up because his name is used the full name of Michel Platini. I also ruled out Lynneeker, Lineker Augusto, Raikard (Rijkaard), Rudigullithi (Ruud Gullit) or Mattheus (who was Bebeto's son).  I also found a footballer named Makelele.  
-- Roberto Carlos is a famous singer in Brazil, but he is not famous as the other historical figures mentioned.  The footballer is more famous than the singer outside of Brazil.
-- Senna is also a common surname in Brazil.  So I ruled him out.
-- Julio Cesar and Dante are associated with Germany's 7-1 victory over Brazil at the 2014 World Cup Finals.
-- Three of the US Presidents featured on the Mt. Rushmore are represented here.  The fourth one is Teddy Roosevelt, but I have "Franklin Roosevelt". 
-- Robert Kennedy and Richard Nixon are of course from the same periods in history. RFK could have been running against Nixon in the 1968 US Election.
-- William Ewart Gladstone was Prime Minister of Great Britain for 12 years on four separate occasions between 1868 and 1894.  This covered the same period as Otto von Bismarck was in power.  He was Prime Minister during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71.  Abraham Lincoln was also from the same period of time, but he died before some of the key events took place in Europe under Gladstone and Bismarck.

Formation

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