Gérson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gérson

Gérson with Brazil in 1970
Personal information
Full name	Gérson de Oliveira Nunes
Date of birth	(1941-01-11) 11 January 1941 (age 84)
Place of birth	Niterói, Brazil
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1958	Canto do Rio
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1959–1963	Flamengo	58	(33)
1963–1969	Botafogo	99	(35)
1969–1972	São Paulo	33	(5)
1972–1974	Fluminense	21	(1)
Total		211	(74)
International career
1959–1960	Brazil Olympic	12	(9)
1961–1972	Brazil	70	(14)
Medal record Men's Football Representing  Brazil Pan American Games Silver 1959 Chicago FIFA World Cup Winner 1970 Mexico
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gérson de Oliveira Nunes (born on January 11, 1941), known simply as Gérson, is a famous Brazilian former football player. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both in defense and attack. Gérson won many important trophies with big clubs in Brazil like Flamengo, Botafogo, São Paulo, and Fluminense. He is best known as "the brain" of the Brazilian team that won the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.

Gérson's Early Life and Football Start

Gérson was born and grew up in Niterói, a city near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At school, his friends called him papagaio, which means "parrot." This nickname stuck with him throughout his life.

His father and uncle were also professional football players in Rio. His father was good friends with Zizinho, a legendary Brazilian player. Because of this, Gérson's family supported him when he decided to become a footballer.

As a young boy, Gérson looked up to famous midfielders like Zizinho and Jair. When he started playing for his first club, Flamengo, he was seen as a player similar to Didi, another very influential midfielder of that time.

How Gérson Played Football

Young Gérson was very skilled. He had a powerful left-foot shot and was very smart on the field. He could control the game from the midfield. One of his best skills was his ability to quickly change the game from defense to attack. He would send long, accurate passes from deep in his own half to his teammates. People soon started saying he would be the next Didi.

Gérson's Club Career

Gérson made his professional debut for Flamengo in 1959. Within a year, he was called to play for the Brazilian "amateur" team in the Pan-American Games in Chicago. A year later, he was a key player for Brazil at the Rome Olympics, where he scored four goals. However, Brazil did not get past the group stage in that tournament.

By 1961, he was the main playmaker for Flamengo. He was also chosen to join the full national team to play in the World Cup in Chile. But his dream of playing alongside stars like Garrincha and Pelé was stopped when he got a serious knee injury. He had to have surgery and could not join the team. Gérson faced several injuries throughout his career.

In 1963, Gérson left Flamengo and moved to Botafogo. At that time, Botafogo had one of the best teams in Brazil, with famous players like Garrincha, Didi, and Nilton Santos. At Botafogo, Gérson became one of the most celebrated Brazilian players of his time.

Winning Trophies with Botafogo

With Botafogo, Gérson won several important titles:

• The Torneio Rio-São Paulo in 1964 and 1966.
• The Rio de Janeiro Championship in 1967 and 1968.
• The Brazilian Cup in 1968, which was Botafogo's first national honor.

Later in his career, Gérson also played for São Paulo and Fluminense, which was his favorite team.

Gérson and the Brazil National Team

Gérson is known as one of the best passers in World Cup history. Even though he didn't play his best in the 1966 World Cup, he was the main strategist for the entire Brazil national team in the 1970 tournament. He is considered the best passer and midfielder in that World Cup. In the final match, where Brazil won 4–1 against Italy, Gérson was the second-best player after Pelé.

Overall, Gérson played 70 times for Brazil and scored 14 goals for his country. This includes one goal he scored in the 1970 World Cup final.

Gérson's Legacy and "Gérson's Law"

Outside of football, Gérson became famous for appearing in a TV advertisement for Vila Rica cigarettes in 1976. In the ad, he said, "I like to take advantage of everything, right? You too take advantage!" This phrase became linked to a Brazilian saying called "jeitinho brasileiro" (the Brazilian way) or "Lei de Gérson" (Gérson's Law). This saying refers to finding clever ways to get what you want, sometimes by bending rules. Gérson later said he regretted making the ad because he felt it didn't show his true personality.

Gérson's Playing Style

Gérson played as a holding midfielder, but he was also a very creative player. He focused on keeping the ball and making good passes, not just winning the ball back. He was a smart, effective, and very skilled playmaker in midfield. He was called the "brain" of the Brazilian team that won the 1970 World Cup.

He was known for his ability to keep possession and control the speed of his team's play with his accurate passes. He could also quickly switch from defense to attack by sending sudden, precise long passes to his teammates. Many people consider him one of the best passers in football history and one of Brazil's greatest players ever. He also had excellent positioning and a powerful shot with his left foot, which earned him the nickname Canhotinha de Ouro ("Golden left foot" in Portuguese).

Gérson's Career Statistics

Here are some numbers from Gérson's football career:

• Brazil national team: 87 matches / 19 goals
• Flamengo: 153 matches / 80 goals
• Botafogo: 248 matches / 96 goals
• São Paulo: 75 matches / 12 goals
• Fluminense: 57 matches / 5 goals

Gérson's Achievements and Awards

Club Trophies

Flamengo

• Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 1961
• Rio de Janeiro State Championship: 1963

Botafogo

• Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 1964, 1966
• Taça Brasil: 1968
• Rio de Janeiro State Championship: 1967, 1968

São Paulo

• São Paulo State Championship: 1970, 1971

Fluminense

• Rio de Janeiro State Championship: 1973

International Trophies

Brazil

• FIFA World Cup: 1970

Individual Awards

• FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 1970 (This award goes to the second-best player of the tournament)
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1970 (He was chosen as one of the best players in the tournament)
• World XI: 1971
• World Soccer: One of The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
• Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame

See also

In Spanish: Gérson (futbolista) para niños