Brazil has lost three important icons of sports journalism in the last 24 hours. Apolinho, Antero Greco and Silvio Luiz were part of history. Get to know more about them.
Apolinho (87)
Washington Rodrigues went down in the history of communication with his comments on National Radio, Globo and Tupi. He was also passionate about Flamengo. In 1995, Apolinho coached the Rio de Janeiro club.
On that occasion, he was runner-up in the Supercopa Libertadores. Three years later, he returned to the club as technical director. The journalist used to refer to the episode as a “call-up”. Months later, he would return definitively to the microphones at Super Rádio Tupi.
He died at the Samaritano Hospital, in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. The journalist was being treated for cancer. Apolinho died at the moment when Flamengo, one of his passions, was playing at the Maracanã. The Gávea team thrashed Bolívar 4-0 in the Libertadores.
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Silvio Luiz (89)
Silvio Luiz Peres Machado de Souza was born in 1934 in São Paulo. Before entering the career of journalist and sports commentator, he was a soccer referee, working between the late 1960s until the early 1970s.
He narrated several World Cups and was one of the important voices in the country’s sports journalism. In addition, he is the owner of catchphrases that conquered the public and fans across Brazil, including “Keep your eyes on the play”; “By the prophet’s beard” and “For the love of my little ones”.
His last job was at TV Record, where he was responsible for leading the broadcast of the São Paulo State Championship matches with a touch of irreverence, alongside the comedians Carioca and Bola.
He was married to singer Márcia and leaves behind three children: Alexandre, Andréa and André.
Silvio Luiz had been experiencing health problems since April 7, when he felt unwell while narrating the São Paulo State Championship final. He remained under observation and medical care for 23 days. He was re-hospitalized on May 11 at the Oswaldo Cruz Hospital in São Paulo, where he passed away.
Antero Greco (69)
One of the greatest journalists of his generation, with a unique style in which he mixed good humor, critical sense and above all loyalty, Antero Greco passed away this Thursday (16), at the age of 69, victim of a brain tumor. He had been hospitalized at the Beneficência Portuguesa Hospital in São Paulo for months to treat the disease.
Antero stood out in the print media and on TV. He worked for over four decades at the Jornal O Estado de S. Paulo and for several years as the host of the SportsCenter program on ESPN, in partnership with Paulo Soares, known as Amigão.
He covered several World Cups, Olympics and other international events. He never hid his passion for Palmeiras and the club’s recent titles served as a balm while he fought for his life.
A devotee of St. Francis of Assisi, married to Leila, with whom he had two children, Antero was a collector of images of the saint born into a noble family who chose a life without material resources dedicated to the poorest.
At Estadão, Antero was a proofreader, reporter, columnist and editor. He had the vocation to lead with zeal and professionalism, standing out as a mediator. The son of Italian immigrants, he did not tolerate injustice and practiced solidarity as a daily habit.
In his partnership with Amigão, he worked for over 20 years, in one of the most successful and long-lasting duos on Brazilian television. The two irreverently discussed relevant sports issues, without leaving aside professionalism, with a journalistic focus on the cases.
Graduated in journalism from USP, Antero also worked at Folha de S.Paulo, Band and the now-defunct Popular da Tarde newspaper. The journalist wrote two books: “Seleção Nunca Vista” and “A Goleada”. He loved literature and liked to give his friends good books as gifts.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the episodes available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel. Stay tuned for upcoming releases as we keep telling this legend’s life story.
