Opinion – Walter Casagrande Jr.: Sunday, October 2: today is the championship final

by

What an important day is this Sunday (2).

I’m writing at this moment when I’m about to leave the house to vote, with great expectations, butterflies in my stomach, heartbeat a little higher and in a cold sweat. That is, with all the sensations I had the week, the day before and the day of a big game or a championship final.

This week was similar to the one I spent in 1982, before the final games of the Paulista Championship. Because?

Simple: because we would decide the continuity of Corinthian Democracy, just as today we will decide the survival of democracy in Brazil.

I think we are favorites today, just as we were against São Paulo in 1982.

I spent that week at the hotel concentrated with the singles, but winger Eduardo (married) offered to take care of us.

I remember that we went out on Monday night, on Tuesday we concentrated, on Wednesday we beat São Paulo 1 x 0 (Sócrates) and went out to De Repente Bar, on Bela Cintra Street. On Thursday we went out again, as well as on Friday.

On Saturday, the day before the game, we ate a feijoada at Magrão’s house – most of the press thought it was horrible, saying it was absurd and that we wouldn’t even be able to run.

Well, Sunday (like today), we went to Morumbi, got changed, and when we went up to the field, the loudspeaker was playing Gil’s song “Andar com Fé”.

That moved us, and we went up singing “I’ll walk with faith / That faith doesn’t usually fail”.

And it didn’t fail.

We managed to run and win by 3 x 1. Biro-Biro scored twice, I scored the third goal, and my friend Dário Pereira scored the Tricolor goal. Corinthian Democracy won, and we opened the doors to fight harder for it in the country.

This past week, I participated in Lula’s last live with many guests, public or not, there at Anhembi. And it was a great emotion, with a lot of good and positive energy.

On Tuesday, I went to another meeting with Lula, alongside the sportsmen.

I was surprised with a place reserved for me at the table of people who would speak to the audience.

Adilson Monteiro Alves, Ana Moser, Gleise Hoffmann, Isabel, Andreia Rosa, Diogo Silva, myself and Aloísio Mercadante.

Everyone spoke.

In my turn, I remembered our struggle, and that we were always on the side of democracy. Of course, Magrão came to me, which was very exciting for everyone.

Well, on Friday, the 30th, I gave an interview to a French radio station, and the journalist Alexander made an important point.

He asked me about Corinthian Democracy, a subject that came to his attention when he read the Letter for Democracy in Largo São Francisco. He saw banners, shirts and our presence in all the demonstrations, and, of course, my presence on the platform of the first rally, in Anhangabaú.

The journalist then asked me two questions: how was Corinthian Democracy? I told the whole story, from the beginning of the process to the end, going through the titles, difficulties and persecutions suffered by the dictatorship.

Then he asked me what legacy she left. I replied to the question: “In football or in society?” “Both of us,” he replied.

I thought, thought and replied: “Unfortunately in football, nothing, especially here in Brazil”.

In Europe and Central and North America, the subject is much talked about. “I’ve done a lot of documentaries, shows, books and interviews, like this one, with you,” I told him.

But no practical legacy remained in Brazilian football.

However, he left a very strong legacy in Brazilian society: it is enough to see that Corinthian Democracy is always present in some way in any democratic movement.

I also realized that both our movement and its main characters will be eternal in the fight in defense of Brazilian democracy, because wherever there is a banner, a shirt written Democracia Corintiana, Adilson Monteiro Alves, Sócrates, Casagrande and the Vladimir.

What a pride to go down in history for Brazil’s democracy.

Today I will not score the decisive goal, but I will score my goal so that Brazilian democracy is strengthened and consolidated again, despite this reactionary extreme right trying to destroy it.

And as I said in the mini-speech during the meeting that we, from sports, had with Lula, I ask you to stand up, raise your arm with a clenched fist, as Magrão did, and repeat with me:

LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY!

LONG LIVE FREEDOM!

LONG LIVE THE LULA!

You May Also Like

Recommended for you