On 19 August 2011, he was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo with gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to portal hypertension and was discharged nine days later. His denunciation of the military dictatorship and fight to redemocratize Brazil extended his legacy beyond the football field. [10] His younger brother Raí was also a footballer and an attacking midfielder, being a member of the Brazilian team that won the World Cup in 1994, notably playing for São Paulo and for Paris Saint-Germain. It is five months since I put a drop of alcohol in my mouth. Pelé named Sócrates in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in March 2004 and World Soccer named him one of 100 best footballers in history. "For I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons and your properties, but first and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul. At the time of his death, Sócrates was writing a fictional book about the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher considered to be the main source of Western thought. [2], He was also noted for being an intellectual, a heavy drinker and a smoker. He participated in an important part of the club's history. He moved to Italy to play for Fiorentina, returning to Brazil in 1985 to end his career. Sócrates' health started to deteriorate. This famous painting, "The Death of Socrates" by Jacques-Louis David shows Socrates surrounded by his followers preparing to drink the cup of hemlock. He was born in Belém, Pará, and relocated with his family to Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, in January 1960 after his father Raimundo earned an important position as revenue supervisor. He was also an accurate penalty taker, while his height, heading ability, and elevation allowed him to excel in the air. In 1983, he was named South American Footballer of the Year. [6] In the latter edition, he scored twice, starting with the game's only goal against Spain in the group stage. A brilliant intellect, he … [3] The result matched a professed desire of Sócrates, who had once stated his wish "to die on a Sunday when Corinthians won a trophy". Icon: At 6ft 4ins Socrates was towering star on the football field Brazilian football legend Socrates died today at the age of 57 after falling ill following a meal of beef stroganoff. [38] He died on 4 December 2011 at the age of 57. He frequently appeared on Brazilian TV programmes as a football pundit. 'Obviously you have to change some of your behaviour and avoid risky situations, so to speak. ", Socrates had some high-profile fans including Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela and Benjamin Franklin, whose, was often portrayed as nagging and shrewish, his internal voice didn't tell him not to go, 5 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Cleopatra, Meet Hestia: The Martha Stewart of Greek Goddesses, New Discoveries Reveal a Surprisingly Important Ancient Greek City, Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. Writing on his Twitter page, he said: 'Another sad weekend for football with the passing of our friend Socrates, wonderful player & principled man who stood by his values, RIP.'. Socrates, who leaves a wife and six sons, had been hoping his health would stabilise ahead of a liver transplant after a spending another 17 days in hospital in September. His father's new salary allowed Sócrates to attend the best school in Ribeirão Preto, Colégio Marista. [3] Garforth chairman Simon Clifford paid tribute to the "great grace" of Sócrates. [3] Italy's Paolo Rossi described the death as "a piece of our history that's broken off and gone away". Simon Clifford, the man who was responsible for taking Socrates to Garforth, was quick to pay his respects. This is my teaching, and if this is the doctrine which corrupts the youth, my influence is ruinous indeed. [3], Former Brazil striker Ronaldo tweeted: "Sad start to the day. Wherefore, O men of Athens, I say to you ... either acquit me or not; but whatever you do, know that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times. [33] By hinging his transfer abroad on the outcome of a constitutional amendment, Socrates' political legacy began to form. Sócrates stated that three of his childhood heroes were Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and John Lennon. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. [2] He began playing football professionally in 1974 for Botafogo-SP in Ribeirão Preto, but spent the majority of his career (1978 to 1984) with Corinthians, scoring 41 goals in 59 Brazilian Série A games, and 172 goals in 297 matches in total. 'I do not feel like drinking. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. His brother Rai succeeded where he failed, winning the World Cup with Brazil in 1994. "[3], Corinthians fans held up signs in tribute and there was a moment of silence before the team's match against Palmeiras (a 0–0 draw which secured Corinthians their first Brazilian title for six years). Despite being presented an opportunity to escape the prison, the sophist declined to flee. Illness: Socrates was taken ill after eating stroganoff last week. The rumour gained some credibility following articles in several newspapers apparently confirming it, in one case even citing a confirmation by a named source within the Football Association of Ireland. This 1821 illustration shows Socrates (R) teaching Alcibiades, a prized pupil who later became an Athenian statesman. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. [47], This article is about the Brazilian footballer. I cannot deny myself certain lapses from the strict regime of a sportsman. Socrates won 60 caps and was easily recognisable in his playing days as a bearded 6ft 4in midfield genius with great passing ability. This job earned Sócrates' father the status of a small-town hero in Igarapé-Açu, where the family lived at the time. [36] The following month he spent 17 days in hospital with a liver ailment. Off the field... he was active politically, concerned with his people and his country. While he was mainly known for his ability to orchestrate attacking plays, he was a prolific goal scorer himself, courtesy of his powerful and accurate shot with his right foot, and his ability to make attacking runs into the area from behind. [19] Former coach at Fiorentina, Giancarlo De Sisti, said: "Socrates was a very intelligent man, he had great class. Sócrates watched his father rid himself of books that he so loved; "In 1964, I saw my father tear many books, because of the coup d'état. Alcohol had blighted his life in recent times, though less than a fortnight ago he insisted he was not dependent on drink. Corinthians can clinch the Brazilian title later on Sunday and midfielder Alex says the players will fight with Socrates in their hearts.