Paulo Roberto Falcão facts for kids
Falcão with Roma during the 1983–84 Serie A season
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paulo Roberto Falcão | ||
| Date of birth | 16 October 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Abelardo Luz, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.83 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1965–1972 | Internacional | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1972–1980 | Internacional | 342 | (58) |
| 1980–1985 | Roma | 107 | (22) |
| 1985–1986 | São Paulo | 12 | (0) |
| Total | 461 | (80) | |
| National team | |||
| 1972 | Brazil U23 | 12 | (2) |
| 1976–1986 | Brazil | 34 | (6) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1990–1991 | Brazil | ||
| 1991–1992 | Club América | ||
| 1993 | Internacional | ||
| 1994 | Japan | ||
| 2011 | Internacional | ||
| 2012 | Bahia | ||
| 2015–2016 | Sport Recife | ||
| 2016 | Internacional | ||
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Paulo Roberto Falcão (born 16 October 1953), known simply as Falcão, is a famous Brazilian former footballer and coach. Many people think he is one of the best Brazilian players ever. He was also one of the top defensive midfielders in the world in the 1980s.
Falcão is considered a legend at two big clubs: Internacional in Brazil and Roma in Italy. He also played for São Paulo. At one point, he was even the highest-paid footballer in the world!
Because of his amazing success with Roma, fans called him "the eighth King of Rome." He was added to the club's Hall of Fame in 2013.
Falcão played 34 games for the Brazil national team between 1976 and 1986. He was part of the famous 1982 World Cup team. This team is often called one of the greatest Brazilian teams ever, even though they didn't win the World Cup. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé named Falcão as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Internacional
Falcão started his professional football journey at Internacional in Brazil. He played there from 1972 to 1980. During this time, he helped his team win the Brazilian National Championship three times. These wins were in 1975, 1976, and 1979.
In 1980, his team reached the finals of the Copa Libertadores, a major South American club competition. However, they lost to Nacional. Falcão was recognized as the best player in the Brazilian championships twice, in 1978 and 1979.
Playing for Roma
In 1980, Falcão moved to Italy to play for Serie A club Roma. He quickly learned the language and settled in well. In his first season, Roma finished second in the league. They also won the Coppa Italia, a cup competition, with Falcão scoring the winning penalty in the final.
His second season was even better, and he became one of the top foreign players in Italy. After the 1982 World Cup, Falcão led Roma to win their second-ever league title in the 1982–83 season. He scored seven goals and helped create many more. Fans gave him the nickname "the eighth King of Rome" because of his amazing performances.
In the 1983–84 season, Roma aimed for the European Cup, which is Europe's top club competition. The final was even going to be played in Roma's home stadium. Falcão played a key role as Roma reached the final against Liverpool.
Unfortunately, Falcão injured his knee before the final. He played in the final but was not at his best. Roma lost the match on penalties. This moment changed his relationship with the club. He continued to struggle with knee problems. In 1985, Roma ended his contract after he had an unauthorized knee operation in New York City.
Playing for São Paulo
After leaving Roma, Falcão returned to Brazil. He signed with São Paulo. While playing for São Paulo, he won two more titles. These were the Campeonato Paulista in 1985 and the Taça dos Campeões Rio-São Paulo in the same year.
Falcão stopped playing professional football after the 1986 World Cup. He is one of only eleven players to be included in the Roma Hall of Fame.
International Career
Falcão played for the Brazil national team 34 times, scoring six goals. He was part of the team that finished third in the 1979 Copa América. He scored one goal in that tournament.
He was a key midfielder for the Brazil team at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He played alongside other great players like Zico and Sócrates. Many experts believe this team was one of the best ever not to win the World Cup. Falcão scored two goals in the group stage of the tournament.
In the second round, Brazil faced Argentina and Italy in a tough group. Brazil beat Argentina 3–1. They then needed only a draw against Italy to move to the semi-finals. In a thrilling game, Brazil lost 3–2 to Italy, even though Falcão scored one of Brazil's goals. This defeat was very hard for Falcão and his teammates. Falcão was chosen as the second-best player of the tournament.
Falcão also played in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in two games as a substitute. Brazil was knocked out in the quarter-finals by France. After this World Cup, Falcão retired from playing football.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Falcão became a football manager. From 1990 to 1991, he managed the Brazil national team. He led them to second place in the 1991 Copa América.
He also coached América in Mexico from 1991 to 1992. He then managed Internacional in Brazil in 1993. In 1994, he was the manager of the Japan national team.
Later, he returned to coach Internacional in 2011 and 2016. He also managed Bahia in 2012 and Sport Recife from 2015 to 2016. In 2022, he joined Santos as a sporting coordinator, a role he left in 2023.
Style of Play
Falcão was a very elegant and skillful player. He was known for his vision, passing, and long-range shots. He usually played as a deep-lying playmaker. This means he would control the game from deeper in midfield.
He was also strong defensively and worked hard for his team. His tactical intelligence and leadership made him a very important player on the field.
Personal Life
Falcão was born in Abelardo Luz, Brazil. His father was Portuguese-Brazilian, and his mother had Italian roots.
He married Rosane Leal Damazio in 1993, and they have a son named Paulo Roberto Falcão Filho. After his football career, Falcão also worked for many years as a football commentator for TV channels like Rede Globo and SporTV.
Honours
Internacional
- Campeonato Gaúcho: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1975, 1976, 1979
- Copa Libertadores runner-up: 1980
Roma
- Coppa Italia: 1980–81, 1983–84
- Serie A: 1982–83
- European Cup: runner-up 1983–84
São Paulo
- Campeonato Paulista: 1985
- Taça dos Campeões Estaduais Rio-São Paulo: 1985
Individual Awards
- Bola de Prata (Best Player in Brazilian League): 1975, 1978, 1979
- Bola de Ouro (Golden Ball, Best Player in Brazilian League): 1978, 1979
- FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 1982
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1982
- FIFA 100: 2004 (Named by Pelé as one of the 125 greatest living footballers)
- A.S. Roma Hall of Fame: 2012
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2016
- Golden Foot: 2019 (as a football legend)
Images for kids
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Falcão holding the trophy after winning the 1979 Brazilian Championship with Internacional.
See also
In Spanish: Paulo Falcão para niños
