By Olumide Adesida
Legendary Brazilian footballer, Jose Ely de Miranda, popularly known as Zito, is dead. Zito, who was a member of Brazil’s World Cup winning sides in 1958 and 1962, died on Sunday, June 14, 2015 at the age of 82.
He spent his entire club career with Sao Paulo-based club, Santos FC, playing 733 games and scoring 57 goals. He played 52 times for Brazil, mostly as a defensive midfielder and also won the Copa Libertadores in 1962 and 1963.
The feats, combined with winning the World Cup on two occasions, catapulted him to the status of one of the country’s iconic figures alongside fellow legend, Pele.
Zito is also credited with sporting the talents of current Brazil’s best player, Neymar, signing him for Santos in 2003 while he was the chief manager of Santos and Neymar was just 11 years old.
