Edmundo: “The beast who was his own greatest enemy

It is not uncommon for a talented young boy Edmundo from a slum to conquer the world and write his name in football history. Especially in Brazil, where one of the few children’s entertainment is just a ball game. Edmundo’s story does not feature any originality in terms of success. But it demonstrates how a man can ruin his career and his life with his own hands.

Edmundo’s footballing career

The lad grew up in a Brazilian slum on Teixeira de Freitas street in Rio. The famous Ipanema was just around the corner, but the significant difference in wealth and social class literally increased the distance. Reinaldo de Souza, the boy’s father, earned his living as a barber, following in his father’s footsteps. His wife worked as a cleaner but there was still no money for a decent future for Edmundo and Luisinho’s sons.

The boys tried to enjoy life and distract themselves from the dullness of everyday life. Football, played by almost all the boys in the country, helped them in this. Without getting an education, Dinho continued to run the ball through the streets and beaches, demonstrating his impressive skills. The chance to succeed was helped by the boy’s aunt, who took him to the practice, which had to be reached by ferry.

After becoming a teenager of 15, Edmundo was invited to the Botafogo youth team. As his talent developed, another quality became apparent – his penchant for self-destruction. One of his first “exploits” was to be reprimanded for walking around the club premises naked. After that, the number of scandals grew exponentially.

The fine line between success and failure Edmundo

Initially, Edmundo was listed as a reserve player. But eventually he ended up in the first team, where he has not been removed, even with all his scandalous antics. His help in the defeat of Corinthians was simply invaluable. Moreover, the guy managed to play well with Bebeto and their duo became just a “killing machine” for the opponents.

Everything was going great for Dinho – his career improving, more and more money, but the lad’s craving for adventure and heavy character again spoiled everything. Joining the ranks of Palmeiras after the club’s massive funding from international conglomerate Parmelat, Edmundo played alongside Roberto Carlos, César Sampaio and Rivaldo.

It is only a matter of time before the player is caught up in the scandal again. The Sao Paulo game against Palmeiras tickled the nerves of all fans. Right next to the line, a guy gets mowed down and literally loses his temper. It didn’t work out amicably, moreover, he said “niceties” to the Sao Paulo coach, went on Euller, hit Andre Luiz and Juninho Paulista.

The most anticipated game of the season ended in a massive scuffle and the removal of six players from the field at once. Edmundo himself had scored the only two goals of the Palmeiras game.

That year proved to be rich in Dinho’s antics. He picked up a 40-day suspension as he slapped the referee in the face. He also had a fight with Antonio Carlos and a series of scandals with his own coach. As a result, five red cards were added to Edmundo’s box.

One of the worst “misses” of the footballer was a car accident. Being on standby, the athlete sat behind the wheel of his Jeep and failed to cope with the control. He collided with a Fiat, after which it flew into a pole. All the passengers in the latter were killed and Edmundo was charged with involuntary manslaughter.