Wladimir’s biography tells how poor boy became leader of Corinthians’s Democracy

The democratic movement that marked Brazilian football and Corinthians in the early 1980s has the image, to this day, of Sócrates and Casagrande. The importance of another player on that team is reestablished by the biography “Wladimir – The Captain of Corinthian Democracy”, written by journalist Hélio Alcântara (R$ 99, 640 pages, Editora Letras do Pensamento).

The work will be launched this Saturday (11), at 5 pm, at the Museu do Futebol, in São Paulo.

Contrary to what had happened in national sports until then, Corinthians’s democracy was a movement in which players and the coaching staff discussed and decided in votes on different aspects of the club’s life, even changes in coach. Started in 1982, it lasted until 1984. During that period, Corinthians was two-time champions in São Paulo (1982 and 1983).

These are years that coincided with the end of the Brazilian military regime (1964-1985). The initiative at Parque São Jorge anticipated the Diretas Já campaign (1984) and the indirect election of Tancredo Neves, the country’s first civilian president after 25 years (1985).

In 640 pages, the work chronicles the life of one of the most important players in the history of Corinthians, where he played 806 times, and his transformation from a short, frail boy raised in a poor family, to the leader of one of the greatest teams in the country. It shows how he goes from being the boy who didn’t want to mess up even when he received racial insults, and becomes a citizen interested in politics and union movements.

“When we took on this project, we knew that everything had to work out on and off the field. Always, because it was just an arrow that came in our direction”, observes Wladimir in the biography.

Corinthian Democracy has also become a brand and the left side remains forever associated with it. For the first time a professional football squad had a psychoanalyst (Flavio Gikovate) and decided for themselves even if concentration would happen.

It was not a move accepted by everyone within the cast. Emerson Leão, goalkeeper in 1983, has always been critical. He said that everything was decided by some, not all. A similar complaint was also made by Pelé, already a former player.

From the writing of Hélio Alcântara, it is discovered that the Football King was the idol of Wladimir, who supported Santos as a child because of the 10 shirt. Belmiro. He refused because he was committed to Corinthians.

The book counts the player’s wins and losses on the field. It gives backstage details of the traumatic fall in the 1974 Paulista final and also the joy of the titles: the state titles in 1977, 1979, 1982 and 1983.

He also comments on the disappointment of the Brazilian team in Wladimir’s career. He wore the yellow shirt only seven times. He was never called up for the World Cup.

Despite the details that will satisfy Corinthians fans and the most fanatical about football, the book offers more when it talks about the full-back off the field. The background is the military and racial structure of Brazilian society. Like the episode in which he, already a Corinthians starter, is stopped by police in the street when he walked beside his mother.

“Hey, nigga, where are the documents? Pull over there!”, he heard.

When he was recognized, he had to hand out autographs for members of the Military Police. Or the moment he was kicked on the field during a game in the Federal District and the opponent challenged him: “So what? I’m white and you’re black.”

The book explains how Wladimir played even when injured because he didn’t want to lose any game and had to face negotiations with President Vicente Matheus (1908-1997) to renew contracts. Always exhausting episodes in which the athlete had to be asked questions such as “you are still young. What do you want so much money for?”

There is a narration of how the process of politicization and social conscience of a popular idol in sport happens, in which its athletes are still, from time to time, called alienated. It tells how the players faced external pressures against the so-called Corinthian Democracy, which went in the opposite direction to what was done in all other associations and how, little by little, it was fading away.

“For the conservatives, the self-management of the Corinthian Democracy was a danger. We were a real threat to the existing structure”, says Wladimir.

Qualification: Wladmir – the captain of the Corinthian Democracy
Author: Helium Alcantara
Publishing company: Letters of Thought
Pages: 640
Price: BRL 99 (BRL 79 at launch)