Mauro Ramos

**Mauro Ramos** (30 August, 1930 – 18 September, 2002) was a former Brazilian football player. He has played for Brazil national team. Regarded as one of the best Brazilian centre-backs of all time and is considered to be one of the greatest defenders in the 1950s and 1960s, he was praised throughout his career for his aerial ability, marking, his leadership, long passing, blocking shots and tackling. Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera believed Mauro to be the best sweeper in the history of the game.

## Club career

He made his debut in adult football in 1947, playing for the "Sanjuanense" team. With his game for this team, he attracted the attention of representatives of the coaching staff of "Sao Paulo" , which he joined in 1948. Played the next eleven seasons of his playing career for the Sao Paulo team. Most of his time with São Paulo, he was the team's main defensive player and won four São Paulo state championships with the team. In 1960, he moved to the club "Santos", nicknamed "Os Santásticos", which was considered to be one of the greatest clubs in the world, he played 7 seasons. While playing for Santos, he also mostly appeared on the field in the main team and won five more state championships, but the greatest achievement for the player was two consecutive victories in the Copa Libertadores (1962, 1963), which allowed the team to play in the Intercontinental Cup. In both draws, "Santus" defeated European rivals, becoming the strongest team in the world two years in a row. He ended his professional career as a football player with performances for the "Santos" team in 1967. He moved abroad for the first time in his career in 1967 he played for Toluca until 1968 and he retired due groin injury.

## International career

In 1948, he made his debut in official matches as part of the Brazilian national team. The following year, he was part of the national team, he participated in the 1949 South American Championship in Brazil, winning the title of continental champion that year.

Nevertheless, Ramos did not go to the 1950 World Cup the following year. The reason for this was that the head coach Flávio Costa, under pressure from the Confederation's football officials in the "confrontation" between the players from Sao Paulo (Paulistas) and Rio de Janeiro (Carioca), who made up the Brazilian national team, made his choice in favor of Carioca. However, thanks to this, Ramos was able to become a unique record holder for the generation of Brazilian "double champions". Because after losing the decisive match of the 1950 "World Cup" (Maracanazo), a total "purging of the ranks" took place in the Brazilian national team. Ramos was able to successfully pass it and later became a two-time world champion. Most of the "bi-champions" never managed to become champions of South America (including Pelé and Garrincha).

Four years later, at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, already under Zezé Moreira, Mauro Ramos was on the application list, but did not play in a single match, giving up the position of central defender to Fluminense player Pinheiro. After that, Mauro played in the 1956 South American Championship in Uruguay, finishing fourth, In 1957 Mauro was almost not named for the Copa América, but his wonderful performances at Saõ Paulo led him to play in that tournament. Brazil finished as runners-up, and by the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, Mauro Ramos had already become the idol of "São Paulo", continuing to show a great game and being in great sports shape. This could not fail to be noticed by the leadership of Brazilian football, inviting Mauro to the World Cup again. However, in Sweden, Ramos spent the entire tournament on the bench, winning the first world championship title in his career. The main pillars of the defense then were Hilderaldo Bellini and Orlando. Both are players of Vasco da Gama from Rio de Janeiro. The following year, Mauro and the national team took part in the 1959 South American Championship in Argentina, where together with the team, he won "silver", losing only one point to the hosts, the Argentines. It was not until his last World Cup in 1962 in Chile that Mauro came to the status of a main player, playing in all six matches, he made a formidable defensive duo with compatriot Zózimo, while the defender was captain of the team at that tournament. During his career in the national team, which lasted 17 years, he played 28 matches for Brazil with no goals.

### Club

- Campeonato Paulista: 1948, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967
- Taça Brasil: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
- Copa Libertadores: 1962, 1963
- Intercontinental Cup: 1962, 1963
- Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966
- Recopa Intercontinental: 1968

### International

**Brazil**
- South American Championship: 1949
- South American Championship runners-up: 1953, 1957, 1959
- South American Championship fourth place: 1956
- Panamerican Championship: 1952
- Taça Oswaldo Cruz: 1950, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962
- Copa Rio Branco: 1950
- Taça do Atlântico: 1956, 1960
- FIFA World Cup: 1958, 1962
- Roca Cup: 1957, 1960, 1963
- Taça Bernado O'Higgins: 1955, 1959, 1961
- Copa Rio Branco Runner-up: 1948