Captain of arguably the greatest Brazil side to never win the World Cup, the mercurial Socrates talks to Andy Mitten in Sao Paulo about his remarkable achievements both on and off the field Socrates shakes his head when he recalls how the Brazil side he captained were eliminated from the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
In arguably the greatest World Cup match ever played, Brazil dominated against Italy, passing beautifully, but a Paulo Rossi hat-trick sent them out in a 3-2 thriller and Italy went on to win the World Cup.
"Our loss to Italy was not simple," Socrates says. "It was like achieving the conquest of the most beautiful woman in the world, but then being unable to do what matters with her. But it can happen, in life and in sport. "Some say that we were the greatest side never to win the World Cup. They tell us that to this day ... People remember our team because we lost, not won. But nobody tried to copy Italy, the pragmatic team which lifted the World Cup. The beautiful team, with the art and creativity, lost."
To rub salt into the wounds, the Italian team bus blocked in the Brazilian one after the game and the losing side had to wait for an hour behind the poky stands of Espanyol's old stadium as the victors celebrated. Socrates curses at the memory as he tucks into his steak in an upmarket restaurant in Sao Paulo. Internationally, Socrates retains almost mythical status among generations of football fans based on his Espana '82 exploits. They were entranced by his elegance, his two step penalties, his name, full beard, rolled down socks and the way he appeared to be playing purely for fun, while gasping for a cigarette. But in Brazil he is as renowned for what he did off the field as his achievements on it.
"I have three idols," says the father of six, in his husky voice. "Che [Guevara], Fidel [Castro] and John Lennon." Socrates travels once a week to Sao Paulo, South America's biggest metropolis of 15 million people, to appear on a talk show where he puts forward his nonconformist views with intelligence and passion. His giant frame (1.9m) fills the boxy studio set. He also has a television show in his home city of Ribierao Preto, where, ever the social activist, he interviews politicians and journalists, artists and writers.
"I'm a normal guy who loves to meet people," he says. "I only get scared when it's too many people at the same time so you can't communicate. But with one, two or five people, I love to talk, laugh and learn. "My life's objective is to learn. And everyone you meet has something to teach you. The main goal I score in my life will have nothing to do with football." The player known as Magrao (big skinny bloke) was exceptionally bright. So clever that he had the capacity to study medicine, captain Corinthians, the top Sao Paulo club, and his nation, while all the time leading a campaign for democracy against Brazil's then military government. He even looked like Che Guevara, though there is a much more prosaic explanation for his facial hair.
"The beard is not to remind me of Che, but because I have oily skin," he says. "I had too many spots, but the beard reduced and hid them. "I do have a son called Fidel, though," he says. "Cuba represents my dream, where there are the same opportunities for everyone, an egalitarian vision for every citizen. I think it's very interesting that a small country, with no strong economy in any aspect, can survive with high literacy rates, medical levels and sporting excellence which sees them win more Olympic gold medals than any other Latin American country. I wish I was born in Cuba."
Socrates has his father to thank for his unusual name. "My father was from was a very poor family in the Amazon who taught himself to read. He was a man with no education but he built a huge library. I went to see him and read a lot, too. He was interested in ancient Greek philosophy and called me Socrates. He wanted to name all his children after Greek philosophers, but he only knew three. So there's Socrates, Sofocles and Sostenes.
"In 1964 there was a military coup. I was 10 and remember my father burning his book on the Bolsheviks. That started my interest in politics. "The football came by accident. I was a child of the dictatorship. I always had my eyes turned to the social injustices in the country and I had colleagues who had to hide and run away. I just happened to be good at football." Socrates played for local club Botafogo while studying at one of the best medical universities in South America.
"What I liked about football was the social mix. I found it democratic, but it also taught me about the country I lived in and I realised that I had to try and change it. "I carried on playing while I did my studies and that was difficult because I might have an exam when Brazil were playing Argentina." In 1978 he transferred to Corinthians, where he soon tired of the way players were treated by the management, an authoritarian regime which he saw as an extension of the unjust politics of Brazil.
"With my teammate, Wladimir, I rose up against the owners by founding a socialist cell called 'Corinthians Democracy'," Socrates says. "The clubs wanted to have complete control, whereas we felt that the players should be consulted and not treated like children. We did not just object to the simple problems, but the bigger political picture." Corinthians won the state championship in 1982 with "Democracia" printed on their shirts.
"At election time we had 'Vote on the 15th' on our shirts. That was a perfect moment," he says. "That was the greatest team I ever played in because it was more than sport. My political victories are more important than my victories as a professional player. A match finishes in 90 minutes, but life goes on." Beyond Brazil, he was one of the stars in the 1982 side which was widely expected to win the World Cup.
"There were tensions in the team which needed to be fixed beforehand," he says. Although the captain, he did not call the shots. "Zico was the king. He was much better than everyone else. When there is a king, the rest fight to be close to the king. So it was Zico who should lead. It was Machiavellian, but I was the prince and Zico the king." Internal divisions sorted, Brazil won their group games against the USSR, Scotland and New Zealand.
"My strongest memory is of singing the national anthem before the first game," he says. "I was the captain of the team, father of 150 million Brazilians. That was the most important moment in my life." Old rivals Argentina were next and were comfortably beaten 3-1. "Pele or Maradona, that's what people ask me," he says. "The only time I played against the artist Maradona in the World Cup I won.
"I felt relaxed about our opponents in the quarter-finals, Italy. I'd tried to stop smoking. I was a doctor - still am - and know that smoking is not good for anyone, not least a professional athlete. But I enjoyed it too much and still do." Socrates also played in the 1986 World Cup, but claims that Brazil side was "inferior." "The '82 team took three years to build, but the '86 team came together in two weeks and there was nobody physically as good. That's why we didn't win," he says.
Two years earlier, in 1984, Socrates spoke in front of 1.5 million people at a political rally. The huge crowd cheered as he told them that if congress passed a constitutional amendment to re-establish free presidential elections he would turn down an offer to play in Italy. The vote did not get through - although the ground swell of public support would eventually lead to Brazil's free presidential elections in 1989. So Socrates went to Italy to play with Fiorentina for a season.
"I found Europe very regimented," he says. "There's more to life than football and sometimes I didn't want to train, but to hang out with friends, party or have a smoke. They didn't appreciate that. In Brazil things are far more spontaneous." Such cultural differences, he thinks, partly explain why Brazilian players don't always thrive in England. "The culture is so different so it does not surprise me when talented Brazilian players do not do as well as they should. England is also far too cold for Brazilian footballers," he adds.
Socrates has played in England, very briefly. In 2004, more than a decade after retiring, he agreed to a one-month player-coaching deal with Garforth Town in the northern city of Leeds. He made his only appearance for the club against Tadcaster Albion, coming on as a substitute towards the end of the game and still laughs at the memory. "I went to teach children to play football and was invited to play in a game. I thought it was a joke when I was asked to sign an official form. I was 50-years-old, but the media had been told I would play and I didn't want to let anyone down. That was the last time I played."
Such a distinctive character remains easily recognisable in his homeland, something he enjoys and values. One of the cult figures of football, larger than life, he has genuinely earned his legendary status.
sports@thenational.ae
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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The five pillars of Islam
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Price, base / as tested: Dh76,900 / Dh110,900
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: Torque: 352Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.5L / 100km
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Key fixtures from January 5-7
Watford v Bristol City
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan
Coventry v Stoke City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Manchester United v Derby
Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom
Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon
Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury v West Ham United
Wolves v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Fulham v Southampton
Norwich City v Chelsea
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.