Opinion – Juca Kfouri: The Pivete who became giant

Raí Souza Vieira de Oliveira honors his mother Guiomar, father Raimundo and brother Sócrates.

Rare family, that of the Vieira de Oliveira, the only one to give two captains of the team in World Cups — in 1982 and in 1994.

More importantly, capable of creating two idols who have never been absent from the two most popular teams in São Paulo, who have always come face to face for the best purposes.

Socrates called Raí Pivete, he was proud of him, he took friends to see him train in the youth teams of Botinha, Botafogo in Ribeirão Preto.

Raí grew up and not in the shadow of his great brother.

He progressed at his own expense, commanding São Paulo in winning the first world title, in 1992, against Barcelona when he scored a free-kick and ended the year elected best player in Brazil, South America and the Intercontinental Cup.

Alongside Leônidas da Silva and Rogério Ceni, he is part of the Holy Trinity Tricolor.

In France, he became the biggest idol of Paris Saint-Germain. Don’t even ask Parisians who is better, Raí or Neymar. It will be cowardice.

Well, now, in the French capital, Raí has ​​scored yet another great goal as a sportsman and citizen of the world, chosen to present the Sócrates Award to the player with the greatest social contribution today.

Before passing the trophy rightly awarded to the Senegalese extraordinary Sadio Mané, Raí, with the elegance, discretion and firmness that are three of his trademarks, preached democracy, gave a wink and made the “L”.

It could just be a gesture, as the best people are doing from north to south, from east to west in Brazil.

In his case, it’s more. Because consistent with what he learned at home and with the work he has been developing for 24 years at his Gol de Letra Foundation, played with excellence by another jewel of the Vieira de Oliveira family, brother Sóstenes, dedicated to the education of children and young people from vulnerable communities. .

“Socrates represents ideals for a fairer world, for a more humane world, and represents the values ​​of democracy in the sense of creating a better world for everyone. Football is increasingly an important bridge to reach the world we dream of, and this symbol will be eternal. My country has an important decision to make in a few days and we know very well which side he would be on”, finished Raí, while making the “L” with his hands.

More suitable, impossible.

Unlike Doctor Sócrates, Raí is not a pamphleteer, he is not a militant in the truest sense of the word, just a balanced citizen, one of those cautious people who look down when crossing the street so as not to trip over the curb.

It is difficult to say if anyone who saw Pivete grow up gets too emotional and always sees him as such, despite the fact that he is 57 years old and has been a grandmother since he was 33.

The fact is that his gesture touched not a few people of all ages and fans.

As Corinthian Democracy sensitized non-Corinthians, Raí is one of those capable of pleasing Greeks and Trojans, Lulists and Tebetistas, democrats from right to left, Medebists and Psolists. It only makes extremists more unhappy, turned to their navels, insensitive to barbarism.

It is impossible not to remember with infinite nostalgia the trio Guiomar&Raimundo&Sócrates.

How proud they would be of the youngest of the family, Pivete, the boy who, when going to train at Botinha, omitted to be the brother of who he was.

And became a giant.