Evaristo de Macedo

Evaristo de Macedo Filho (born 22 June 1933), known simply as Evaristo, is a Brazilian former footballer and coach.

Club career Madureira (1950–1952) Raised in the north of Rio de Janeiro, Evaristo, like many children, played football simply for fun on the streets, and watched Flamengo play on weekends with his uncle. In 1950, aged 17, Evaristo joined a friend who was attending a trial at Madureira and was asked to come back the following day. Signed as an amateur, he scored 18 goals in 35 games, including one against Fluminense at the Maracanã Stadium.

Flamengo (1953–1957) Evaristo was called up to the Brazilian squad at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. After returning home following elimination to an experienced Germany side, all of the Brazil players received new club offers. Turning down offers from Vasco da Gama and Fluminense, Evaristo joined Flamengo, and won three successive Rio State Championships with the club. He scored 103 goals in 191 games for Flamengo, including four during a 12–2 win over São Cristóvão, the biggest win ever recorded at the Maracanã to date.

Evaristo's relationship with Barcelona with regards to international representation had been strained from the start. Having played every minute of a two-legged World Cup qualifier against Peru, and with eight goals in fourteen games, when they signed him Barcelona verbally agreed to release Evaristo for the World Cup final tournament in Sweden. However, with Spain having failed to qualify, the Spanish Cup went ahead at the same time as the tournament in Sweden, and Barcelona went back on their promise to release him. Brazil went on to win their first World Cup, with 17-year-old Pelé their headlining player; Evaristo would never wear the famous Brazilian yellow shirt again.

Evaristo was capped by the national side fourteen times, scoring eight goals. He also holds the record of most goals for the Brazil national team in a single match, with Evaristo netting five times for the Seleção in a 9–0 win over Colombia in 1957.

Evaristo played every minute of Brazil's two-legged 1958 World Cup qualifying tie against Peru, and with a total of eight goals in fourteen matches played, he was expected to be a starter for Brazil at the final tournament in Sweden. However, with Spain failing to qualify, the Spanish Cup went ahead at the same time as the World Cup, and Barcelona went back on their initial promise to release Evaristo for the tournament in Sweden; this soured the relationship between Evaristo and the club, and he would go on to join rivals Real Madrid, never playing again for the national team.

Managerial career Evaristo had a brief tenure as manager of the Brazil national team in 1985, and he later became head coach of Iraq for the 1986 World Cup. Evaristo would take on various further managerial positions, including three separate stints in charge of his former club Flamengo.

Career statistics

Managerial statistics

Honours Flamengo Campeonato Carioca: 1953, 1954, 1955, 1965

Barcelona Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1955–58, 1958–60 Copa del Generalísimo: 1958–59 La Liga: 1958–59, 1959–60 European Cup runner-up: 1960–61 Small Club World Cup: 1957

Real Madrid La Liga: 1962–63, 1963–64 European Cup runner-up: 1963–64