The day Dirceu debuted with Atleti in Vallecas

After the brilliant victory in Manchester, the Athletic will play on Saturday against Vallecano Ray another crucial encounter. Forty-two years and four months ago, on November 18, 1979, the Brazilian Jose Guimaraes Dirceu, a soccer virtuoso, made his debut at the Vallecano venue. Atlético fell to Rayo (4-1), led by the Uruguayan Fernando Morena, drowned the rojiblancos. Dirceu opened with defeat, but began to leave glimpses of his sublime left foot.

“I gave them balls and they gave me back watermelons,” The footballer had said about his time at América de México, in which he played before traveling to Madrid. “At Atlético it will be different. In Spain I will regain prestige. I will also be able to play with my country’s team”, he explained in the Spanish capital, where he landed to replace Ruben “Mouse” Ayala and after a transfer of 40 million pesetas (240,000 euros).

Three days later, Atlético appeared in Vallecas in a very delicate situation, with three negatives in the table. Luis Aragonés lined up Reina, Guzmán, Ruiz, Pereira, Quique; Robi, Leal, Dirceu, Marcos, Rubén Cano and Rubio. Rayo, directed by the Uruguayan Héctor Nuñez, played with Mora, Anero, Uceda, Tanco, Rocamora, Custodio, Robles, Marián, Clares, Morena and Alvarito.

In the game, which is played in a packed stadium, the colchoneros hold out until the 60th minute. Rubén Cano even hit a ball off the post in the first half. At game time, Pereira he touches the ball with his hand inside the area and Morena converts the penalty. seven minutes later, Alvarito makes the second, directly from a corner kick. In 69, Morena once again beats Reina. Ruben Cano he scored a penalty to make it 3-1 in minute 79 and Marián put the icing on the cake for Rayista in minute 89 (4-1). Dirceu shows great qualities with an imposing left foot, but physically he is not in good shape and succumbs in his debut.

Miguel Angel Ruiz, Starting that day in the center of defense with Pereira, he remembers him as “an excellent player”. “He had a mixture of exquisite technical quality with a spectacular left foot and did not stop running throughout the match. He had an enormous capacity for sacrifice and work. He wasn’t a defensive player, but he worked hard. In the 1980-81 season I played with him and with Quique Ramos in midfield and I scored a lot of headed goals with his crosses. Looking at him, I knew where he was going to put it.” The former soccer player told EFE.

Despite his strong character (in August 1981 a confrontation with García Traid led to the dismissal of the coach and an economic sanction to the player), Dirceu left behind in the locker room. “We had a great friendship. My wife also got along very well with hers. With him there was an extraordinary atmosphere in the team. Those years many players came out of the quarry and an extraordinary atmosphere was made with him “Ruiz points out.

Dirceu was at Atlético until 1982. In Madrid he received his doctorate as a magnificent midfielder. for that andHe had been to the World Cups in Germany ’74 and Argentina ’78 and would also do so in Spain ’82. During his three campaigns in Manzanares, one under the presidency of Vicente Calderón and two with Alfonso Headleaves an extensive repertoire of long passes and free kicks that he accompanied with his typical gesture, with his tongue bitten out of his mouth.

On September 15, 1995, he died in Rio de Janeiro in a traffic accident, at the age of only 43.. “Shortly before, when I was the club’s sports director, I traveled to Brazil and was there for fifteen days. Dirceu treated me wonderfully. Impressive”, recalls Ruiz, who also remembers the fights against Rayo Vallecano. “Rayo has always been and is a very competitive team. In their stadium they have always been very complicated games because as the public is so close, the dimensions of the pitch seem smaller than they really are”.

The poor state of the grass was common in almost all fields in his time. “It was very similar in all the fields. Back then we were used to playing on bare and muddy pitches. It’s not like now. Nowadays the playing fields are more well cared for. There have been many advances. That’s why the difference is more noticeable when one is bad, now it’s a different kind of football”, says Ruiz.

Rayo and Atlético will settle a new derby on Saturday in an old and mythical stadium, in which one day a legend appeared in Spain. Forty-two years later, Dirceu and his football return to the present.

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