Family members, friends, teammates, rivals, current athletes, Vasco da Gama fans, as well as fans of Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo, gathered this Monday (9), at the São Januário stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, for the last goodbye to Roberto Dinamite.
In the center of the lawn of the Vasco stadium, the idol Cruzmaltino was veiled the day after he died at the age of 68, as a result of intestinal cancer. The disease was diagnosed at the end of 2021.
The wake opened to the public shortly after 10 am and lasted until around 7:30 pm. Not even the bad weather in Rio, on a cloudy and rainy day, prevented the Vasco idol from receiving the honors.
While a long queue of fans formed around São Januário, people closer to the greatest scorer in Vasco’s history (622 goals) had reserved access, such as Edmundo, Zico, Júnior, Joel Santana, Branco, Zinho, Mauro Galvão, Fernando Prass and Fred, as well as directors and former top hats of Rio de Janeiro clubs.
Edmundo was one of the most emotional. He hugged Luciana and Rodrigo, Dinamite’s children, and talked to other family members. As he approached his friend’s body, he couldn’t hold back the tears.
“I’m very close to the body, but I don’t like looking at it. The image I have of him is an open, handsome, sincere and generous smile,” he said. “It wasn’t until my father passed away that I felt the pain I’ve been feeling since yesterday,” added the former striker.
Flamengo idol, Zico praised the friendship of almost 50 years with Dinamite. “We played for youth at the same time and then debuted as professionals in the same year: 1971”, recalled Galinho.
“Together in the selection [brasileira] we never lost. Through the clubs that we defended, we were always able to take more than 100,000 fans to Maracanã without having to say any nonsense to each other”, he highlighted.
Unlike what happened during Pelé’s wake, at the beginning of last week, in Santos, this time several current players and multiple world champions with the Brazilian team were present at the ceremony.
Former winger Cafu, who played in the last two titles of the Brazilian team in World Cups, captain of the penta in 2002, was one of them. He stated that idols like Dinamite and Pelé are indeed valued by their generation, but he questioned the charge he and others received for their absence at Pelé’s wake.
“There are so many things that could be required of an athlete besides going to a wake”, he complained. “The important thing is that these players will be eternal in our lives. Pelé is eternal, Carlos Alberto Torres, too, Félix and Roberto are eternal too.”
At the King’s farewell, however, among the winners of the 1994 and 2002 Cups and the members of the team that played in the tournament in Qatar two months ago, only Mauro Silva, winner in the United States, attended.
Top scorer in the Brazilian Championship (190 goals), Roberto Dinamite defended the Brazilian national team in two World Cups (1978 and 1982), winning admirers as well as fans of the Colina team, for which he became eternal.
One of the most emotional moments of the farewell occurred when the current Vasco squad entered the pitch.
Athletes, committee members and club officials wore a shirt honoring the former number 10. On it, there was the phrase: “Dynamite, the greatest of all”.
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