Italy vs. Brazil partido completo

Información

• Alineaciones
• Comentarios

The previous year, summoned by the then Brazilian coach, Sebastião Lazaroni, for Zico's Brazil farewell, Júnior asked him: "What am I doing here?" Lazaroni replied that he was being watched like everyone else. It was then that Junior changed his plans. In order to be seen closer than in the Italian 2nd division, to where his club Pescara, had been relegated, Júnior returned to work in Brazil, at Flamengo in June 1989. There came friendlies, Copa America matches and World Cup Qualifiers, and in none of those times was he considered. The year 1990 came, and despite being in full form, at no time was he remembered. For this reason, he decided to quit football in Pescara, as gratitude for the treatment he'd had in the town and for how quick he'd left the club dreaming of the Brazilian national team. After the World Cup, he got a question from his son Rodrigo that would change his "closure" plans: "Father, won't I see you play at Maracanã?". July 1990: Júnior returns to training at Flamengo and resumes his career. From then on, everything happened... 1990 Brazilian Cup champion, 1991 Copa Rio de Janeiro and Carioca champion, 1992 Brazilian league champion (being the best player of the competition). His performance was so spectacular that Brazil's then-coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was forced to call him up in 1992. He played 8 games and he hoped to play in the 1994 World Cup, but one comment by Parreira ("No world team has a 40 year-old playing in their midfield") accelerated the definitive closure of his brilliant career in 1993... a career of technical excellence and longevity. Thank you, Júnior! "Maestro" Júnior!