EXXXTÓRIA8 OF THE BADUZNHO ZÉ JULINHO

(Julio Leal)

13 – VERÍDICA: BADUZINHO LAUNCHES HIS BOOK FUTEBOL ARTE E OFÍCIO. IT WAS WHAT WAS MISSING FOR THE RELATIVE REALIZATION

SEO JULIO, BADUZINHO’S FATHER, SAID THAT A PERSON NEEDED TO DO 3 (THREE) THINGS IN LIFE TO BE FULFILLED: HAVE A CHILD, PLANT A TREE AND WRITE A BOOK. HE DID SO MUCH, WROTE A LOT, BUT HE DIDN’T WRITE A BOOK. BUT HE WAS HIS SON’S PARTNER IN ITS PUBLICATION, CO-AUTHOR.

JOÃO HAVELANGE (JEAN-MARIE FAUSTIN GOEDEFROID DE HAVELANGE) PRESIDENT OF FIFA FOR 24 (TWENTY-FOUR) YEARS, HIS FAITHFUL SQUIRE CARLOS ALBERTO DE CARVALHO, HIS RIGHT-HAND MAN AND CONSULTANT MANOEL ESPEZIM “BERMUDA” “NETO”, AND JULIO LEAL SHARED A DREAM: AN AFRICAN COUNTRY TO HOST A WORLD CUP AND BE WORLD CHAMPION. TO DEVELOP FOOTBALL ON THE CONTINENT, THE PRESIDENT OF FIFA DELEGATED PROF. NETO A TAERFA TO CREATE A 3 (THREE) WEEK COURSE, FULL-TIME, WITH PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL CLASSES ON THE BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL METHODOLOGY. TWICE A YEAR, IN JULY AND DECEMBER, ONE FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING AFRICANS AND ONE FOR FRENCH. LATER IT OPENED TO THE WHOLE WORLD. ESPEZIM WAS VERY INTELLIGENT, A JOURNALIST, LAWYER, REFEREE AND GRADUATED IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND FOOTBALL COACH IN THE SAME CLASS (PIONEIROS DO FUNDÃO) AS BADUZINHO, WHOM HE CALLED MY BALAGANDÃ. BOTH LIVED ON THE ISLAND.

HE ASSEMBLED A HIGH-LEVEL TEAM TO ORGANIZE EACH AND EVERY AREA OF FOOTBALL (CARLOS ALBERTO PARREIRA. AMÉRICO FARIA, CARLOS ALBERTO LANCETTA, MANOEL TUBINO, DR. ARTUR JORDY), AND CALLED JULINHO TO COORDINATE THE COURSE, IN ADDITION TO TEACHING. IN THE MORNING, DIRECTED PRACTICES CARRIED OUT BY A YOUNG TEAM FROM A CLUB OF GREAT INVESTMENT IN RIO, IN THE AFTERNOON THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES ACTED AS THE PLAYERS, MANY ALREADY COACHES, CARRIED OUT THE CLASS IN PRACTICE. AND IN THE EVENING THEORETICAL CLASSES COVERING THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF FOOTBALL (MEDICINE, PSYCHOLOGY, HISTORY OF FOOTBALL IN THE WORLD AND IN BRAZIL, PLANNING, TACTICS, TECHNIQUE AND PHYSICAL PREPARATION, AMONG OTHERS). ONCE A WEEK A FOOTBALL “STAR” WAS INVITED TO TALK ABOUT HIS CAREER, HOW HE SAW FOOTBALL AND TIPS TO IMPROVE AFRICAN FOOTBALL (JAIRZINHO, EVARISTO, ZAGALLO, CARLOS ALBERTO CAPTAIN OF THE TRI, AMONG OTHERS). ON THE WEEKEND, THEY WENT WITH A PERSON IN CHARGE TO A RIO GAME, AT MARACANÃ, AND MADE A REPORT OF WHAT THEY WITNESSED. THERE WERE ALSO VISITS TO LARGE AND SMALL INVESTMENT CLUBS. IN 1975 (NOVEMBER 9TH) THE BRAZILIAN FOOTBAL ACADEMY – BFA WAS BORN, RECOGNIZED WORLDWIDE.

ALMOST ALWAYS IN THE FIRST CLASSES USING THE LANGUAGE INTERPRETER, THEY ASKED FOR THE BIBLIOGRAPHY. WE WERE EMBARRASSED. IT WAS MEAGER AT THE TIME. I REMEMBER A WORK BY SEBASTIÃO ARAUJO AND THOSE OF A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR FROM MINAS GERAIS. TO ALL THE BADASS HE MET OR WERE GOING TO GIVE A LECTURE, JULINHO AND ESPEZIM SUGGESTED WRITING.  THEY DIDN’T WRITE. BEING UNEMPLOYED AT A CERTAIN TIME, 1999, JULIO REMEMBERED HIS FATHER AND BEGAN TO PUT THE TOPICS ACCORDING TO THE CLASSES AND LECTURES HE USED TO GIVE (EEFD, ABTF, GAMA, CLUBS AND UNION). AFTER THE ASSEMBLED SPINE BEGAN TO DEVELOP THE TOPICS ONE BY ONE. IT TOOK A LOT OF RESEARCH WORK.

ONCE THE WORK WAS DEVELOPED AND FINISHED, HE REVISED IT WITH SEO JULIO, HIS FATHER, THEN ASKED HIS FAVORITE SISTER-IN-LAW MARILENE TINOCO, A WRITING SPECIALIST (SOME OF HIS STUDENTS HAD SCORED 1000 IN ENEM), AND LATER AN ENEM ESSAY CORRECTOR, HE ALSO REQUESTED REVISION FROM MESTRE PARREIRA, INCLUDING INVITING HIM TO PREFACE THE SIMPLE WORK (HE ACCEPTED, THANK GOD) RECHECKING AND REVISION WITH HIS UNCLE EDSON ALVES,  LAWYER, SEMINARIAN, PHILOLOGIST AND ONE OF THE MOST INTELLIGENT THAT BADUZINHO KNEW. IN A COMPANY WHERE HE WORKED WITH SEO JULIO, THE BOSS ASKED TO DEFEND A CAUSE, HE ASKED IF FOR OR AGAINST, HE WON THEM ALL.

HE THEN TOOK THE MATERIAL, AFTER RESEARCHING PUBLISHERS, TO PROF. ERNANE CONTURSI, PROFESSOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AT CREF AND OWNER OF EDITORA SPRINT LTDA, SPECIALIZED IN TECHNICAL BOOKS FOCUSED ON SPORTS. MANY PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING INDOOR SOCCER, BUT NO SOCCER-FOOTBALL. CONTURSI WAS INTERESTED AND BOUGHT THE IDEA, HE WANTED TO PUBLISH IT. THE MATERIAL WAS ALL DELIVERED, REVIEWED BY THE EXPERTS AND SENT FOR PRINTING. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL, WELL-ORGANIZED AND PREPARED FOR THE LAUNCH.

BADUZINHO ALREADY LIVED IN IPANEMA AND KNEW OF A FAMOUS BOOKSTORE, LYRICS AND EXPRESSIONS, OF ONE OF THE JOURNALISTS OF PASQUIM (ZIRALDO – THE ONE FROM MENINO MALUQUINHO). HE MADE A PRE-LIST OF GUESTS, LOOKED FOR THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EVENTS SECTOR AND FOUND OUT HOW THE LAUNCH OF A BOOK TOOK PLACE, IT WAS HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF LETTERS. A RECEPTION, PLACE OF SALE AND WHERE THE BOOKS WOULD BE AUTOGRAPHED ARE RECOMMENDED. THE PERSON IN CHARGE ASKED HOW MANY PEOPLE SHE WANTED THE RECEPTION, CANAPÉS, VARIOUS DRINKS (CHAMPAGNE AND INDEED CACHAÇA), A PIANIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, WAITERS AND SECURITY GUARDS.

ASKED HOW MANY GUESTS HE HAD ON THE LIST, HE REPLIED 500 (FIVE HUNDRED), ONLY THE CLOSEST, WHO HE WOULD LIKE TO CALL EVEN MORE. THE OFFICIAL SAID THAT IN GENERAL 10% OF THE GUESTS ATTENDED, SO IT WAS WITH MOST OF THE RELEASES THERE, WHICH IN THE CASE OF MORE FAMOUS AUTHORS, GRANDIOSE RELEASES, 20%. BADUZINHO GOT ANGRY, ASKED FOR TIME TO GO TO THE HOUSE AND REVIEW THE LIST. SHE REVIEWED AND CAME BACK WITH THE RECEPTION ORDER FOR 450 GUESTS, BECAUSE SHE WAS SURE THAT ALL THOSE WOULD ATTEND, SHE RAISED AN EYEBROW, SMILED AND NODDED SUSPICIOUSLY, SURPRISED

ON THE DAY BADUZINHO ARRIVED EARLY WITH THE FAMILY NUCLEUS, THE RESIDENCE WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE BOOKSTORE, WIFE SÔNIA, CHILDREN (JULIO AND VITOR) ALL WELL GROOMED AND HAPPY. A LITTLE TENSE LITTLE BADUZINHO, BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING. HE CHECKED THE PILE OF WELL-ARRANGED BOOKS AT THE ENTRANCE WITH A CALL FROM THE EVENT, THE BOXES WITH MORE BOOKS AND POST-IT NOTES WHERE THEY WROTE THE BUYER’S NAME, DISCREETLY ATTACHED ON THE PAGE WHERE THE HUMBLE DEDICATION WOULD BE MADE (AN INTERESTING PRECAUTION BECAUSE SOME GUESTS HAD NOT SEEN THEM FOR A LONG TIME). THE HALL WAS PREPARED, THE WAITERS WERE WELL DRESSED AND READY, A PIANIST AT THE STATION, A PHOTOGRAPHER RECORDING EVERYTHING, FOOD AND VARIOUS DRINKS WELL ARRANGED. AT THE BACK OF THE HALL A TABLE WITH A COMFORTABLE CHAIR, GLASS AND BOTTLE OF WATER AND, BEHIND, A PANEL ANNOUNCING THE EVENT, THE BOOKSTORE AND THE BOOK.

EVEN BEFORE THE TIME, PARENTS, SIBLINGS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS FROM THE MOST DIVERSE STAGES OF THEIR LIVES WERE ALREADY THERE WITH THEIR BOOKS IN HAND, IN A LOOSE LINE, VERY CARIOCA STYLE, SMALL GROUPS, VERY NATURAL, FOR THE HUG AND THE SIGNATURE WITH DEDICATION AND DATE THAT SOME KEEP TO THIS DAY WITH AFFECTION. IN HIS LONG-WINDED STYLE, AFTER SEEING THE NAME AND IDENTIFYING THE PERSON, INSPIRED, HONORED AND HAPPY, JULINHO FILLED THE FREE PAGE AND ENDED WITH A KOALESKO HUG (ONE OF THE BEST HUGS HE RECEIVED IN HIS LIFE WAS FROM A KOALA BEAR IN AUSTRALIA, WHERE HE WAS WORLD CHAMPION), AND SIGNED HIS SIMPLE SIGNATURE, JULIO LEAL. OF COURSE, THE TIME USED WITH THE DEDICATION WAS LONGER THAN THE ARRIVAL OF THE GUESTS, WHO DESPITE THE RAIN, ATTENDED EN MASSE. THE QUEUE WAS INCREASING, THE WRITER IN HIS FIRST BOOK NOTICED NOTHING. THE GOOD BRAND PEN BEGAN TO SMUDGE A LITTLE, BUT BY GRACE AND THE WORK OF GOD, BETO VELHO, FROM REDE JORGE NEVES (WHO ATTENDED IN GOOD NUMBERS. THE JORGE BARBOSA NETWORK WAS ALSO PRESENT) REALIZED THE PROBLEM AND OFFERED ITS OWN TO END THE EVENT, ONE OF THOSE FAMOUS ONES, VERY GOOD, THE LETTERS AND WORDS SLID FAST. THERE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUNCTION, IT WAS THE TURN OF A DEAR COUSIN DR. RAPHAEL SALEK, WHO HAD OPERATED ON HIS EYESIGHT AND WAS STILL WEARING THE TAMPON, WHO WENT OFF: COUSIN, STOP MAKING LONG DEDICATIONS, IT’S RAINING AND THE PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE LINE ARE ON THE STREET, THE 3 FLOORS OF STAIRS TAKEN, SMUDGE YOUR THUMB WITH INK AND FIRM THE SHEET,  IF YOU WANT IT IN FULL, PULL YOUR FINGER TO THE SIDE! HE HAD BEEN ANGRY WITH THE DELAY AND WHEN A DEAR AND FAMOUS FRIEND, FROM THE CLUB HE SUPPORTED (FLAMENGO), HURRIED BY APPOINTMENTS, CAME BY THE SIDE OF THE QUEUE AND ASKED FOR KINDNESS… EACH BOOK A STORY, EXXXSTORY, A MEMORY, A PUZZLE STONE IN ITS HISTORY SO FAR, EXCITING AND UNFORGETTABLE. THOSE WHO RECEIVED THE HUMBLE RUBRIC WERE ARRANGED IN THE NEXT ROOM AND TALKED, ATE AND DRANK EXCITEDLY, SOME ALREADY LEAFING THROUGH THAT SIMPLE WORK, THE AUTHOR’S FIRST. IT’S NOT JUST FOOTBALL!

EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY; IT WAS AN UNFORGETTABLE AND UNIQUE NIGHT. ALL THOSE THAT BADUZINHO HAD GUARANTEED ATTENDED. A SUCCESS!

THE NEXT DAY, STILL INTOXICATED, BADUZINHO WENT TO LETTERS AND EXPRESSIONS TO SETTLE ACCOUNTS WITH THE PERSON IN CHARGE, WHO RECEIVED HIM WITH AN AIR OF INCREDULITY AT WHAT HE HAD WITNESSED. THE ATTENDANCE BOOK HAD MORE THAN 450 PEOPLE, IN ADDITION TO THOSE WHO BOUGHT AND DID NOT GO TO THE RECEPTION. HE REPEATED THAT HE HAD NEVER WITNESSED SUCH A FACT, HE THOUGHT THAT THE AUTHOR WAS HIGHLY ESTEEMED.

TODAY WHERE IT WAS LETRAS E EXPRESSÃO IS A PHARMACY, JUST AS ALMOST ALL BOOKSTORES CLOSED THEIR DOORS, GIVING WAY TO OTHER TYPES OF COMMERCE, EVIDENCING THE CULTURAL AND FINANCIAL IMPOVERISHMENT OF OUR PEOPLE AND OF RIO AND THE COUNTRY, TODAY THERE IS ONLY ONE LEFT IN ALL OF IPANEMA (LIVRARIA DA TRAVESSA). HE REMEMBERS THAT WHEN HE WAS IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, ON EVERY CORNER THERE WAS A BOOKSTORE, JUST AS HERE THERE ARE BARS AND DIRTY FEET, BUT HE DOESN’T KNOW IF IT’S STILL LIKE THAT THERE.

TO ONE WHO MET HIM ON THE STREET AND SAID THAT HE HAD BOUGHT HIS BOOK, HE REPLIED: AH, WAS IT YOU?

ADÍLIO WAS HIS PLAYER AT FLAMENGO, WHOM BADUZINHO CALLED CAPITA BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM BORN IN 1976 AND 7 (JULIO CESAR URI GHELLI, ANDRADE, TITA, KALU, TANGER, RODOLFO, CESAR) WHEN HE MET THE COACH, HE SAID WITH THE BOOK UNDER HIS ARM: MY BIBLE. LATER, ADÍLIO, ALREADY TRAINED AS A COACH, JULINHO, THE PROFESSIONAL’S COACH, PROMOTED HIM TO JUNIOR IN 2005, BEING A THREE-TIME CHAMPION IN RIO DE JANEIRO, ALMOST REACHING THE FOURTH. D.E.M. CAPITA! BADUZINHO DIDN’T LAST 6 MONTHS. THERE HUNG UP HIS CAP IN BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL,

THERE WERE ONLY TWO EDITIONS, SOLD OUT WHOLE AND QUICKLY, BUT FOR SOME REASON SPRINT WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THE THIRD EDITION OF 10 THOUSAND COPIES. IT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO FIND THE BOOK AT THE PUBLISHER OR IN BOOKSTORES, ONLY IN SECOND-HAND BOOKSTORES AND AMAZON. SO MANY YEARS LATER IT WOULD PERHAPS DESERVE AN UPDATE.

BADUZINHO ALREADY HAS A BOOK ALMOST READY TO LAUNCH IN AN ARAB COUNTRY AND IS REMOTELY THINKING ABOUT WRITING A NOVEL.

HE FULFILLED THE 3 THREE) REQUIREMENTS OF THE FULFILLMENT OF A MAN ACCORDING TO THE ANCIENT PRECEPTS THAT MR. JULIO TAUGHT HIM: HAVING A CHILD, PLANTING A TREE AND WRITING A BOOK. HOW MANY DID NOT…

HAVE YOU WRITTEN YOURS YET?

TWO FRIENDS TO WHOM HE RECOMMENDED WRITING ARE ALREADY IN THE THIRD LITERARY WORK: OLINTO BRAGA AND DR. MAETERLINK

MAKTUB – IT WAS WRITTEN, IF IT WASN’T, NOW IT IS!

P.S. – Veni, Vidi, Vici/Perdidi, Amavi et Amatus Sum: Vim, Vi, Venci/Perdi, Amei e Fui Amado. Julio Leal.

P.S. 2 – IN PORTUGUESE SPOKEN IN RIO DE JANEIRO “S” SOUNDS LAIKE “CH” IN CHEESE. PURE CHARM.

By Jucele

Julio Leal

24 de maio de 2026