Jair Ventura Filho (born 25 December 1944), better known as Jairzinho (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer. A quick, skillful, and powerful right winger known for his finishing ability and eye for goal, he was a key member and leading scorer of the legendary Brazil national team that won the

1970 FIFA World Cup The 1970 FIFA World Cup was the ninth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's senior national teams. Held from 31 May t ...

. Jairzinho was nicknamed The Hurricane ( pt, o Furacão) in reference to the way his jersey would shake as he ran down the wing during his playing days. A versatile

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

, he was also capable of playing in a variety of other attacking positions, as a main

striker Striker or The Strikers may refer to: People *A participant in a strike action *A participant in a hunger strike *Blacksmith's striker, a type of blacksmith's assistant *Striker's Independent Society, the oldest mystic krewe in America People wi ...

, second striker, or even as an attacking midfielder. He was known for his large afro towards the later stages of his career, as well as his burst of pace, dribbling, ball skills, finishing ability, shot power and physical strength due to his large muscular build. He is widely considered one of the greatest Brazilian players of all time. Due to the economic and political situation of the time, as well as the Sport Legislation, Jairzinho played most of his club football in South America where he spent eleven years at Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo. He went on to play in Europe for

Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille (, ; oc, Olimpic de Marselha, ), also known simply as Marseille or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional men's football club based in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Founded in 1899, the club pl ...

during the final years of his career, a common pattern for South American players until the 1980s, when the economic and political situation changed. Jairzinho replaced his footballing idol Garrincha in both the Botafogo and Brazil teams, and played in three consecutive World Cups:

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

and

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

Early years

Jair Ventura Filho was born on 25 December 1944 in Rio de Janeiro, Jairzinho's family left Duque de Caxias for Rio in the late 50s. Living on Rua General Severiano where he went through the youth setup at local club Botafogo.

Club career

Botafogo

Jairzinho started his football career in 1958 aged 13 assigned to the Botafogo youth teams and working as a ball boy for the first team. He made his professional debut with the club as a striker at the age of fifteen in 1960. His idol Garrincha, whom he would eventually replace for both club and country, also played at Botafogo, albeit in Jairzinho's preferred position on the right wing. This resulted in Jairzinho spending most of his early games playing on the left wing or as a

centre forward Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...

. However, he would fill in as a right winger, by far his strongest position, when Garrincha was injured. Jairzinho finally established himself as a Botafogo regular in 1965 aged 21 and was seen as a phenomenal rising star to the entire nation. During this young age he was already playing with Brazil and Botafogo superstars such as Gérson,

Mario Zagallo is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the '' Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his cr ...

and Garrincha. In 1968, Botafogo won the Brazilian double. Winners of the

1968 Campeonato Carioca The 1968 edition of the Campeonato Carioca kicked off on March 9, 1968 and ended on June 9, 1968. It was organized by FCF (Federação Carioca de Futebol, or Carioca Football Federation). Twelve teams participated. Botafogo won the title for the 1 ...

and the Taça Guanabara in which Jairzinho would score 9 goals in 11 games. By this time Garrincha had already left Botafogo in 1966 and would enable Jairzinho to play in his natural right wing position. Botafogo would then top off the year with a 3rd trophy towards the end of the year winning the 1968 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (Taça Brasil) The following

1969 Campeonato Carioca The 1969 edition of the Campeonato Carioca kicked off on March 8, 1969 and ended on June 22, 1969. It was organized by FCF (Federação Carioca de Futebol, or Carioca Football Federation). Twelve teams participated. Fluminense won the title for th ...

season he would score 7 goals, progressing onto the next

1970 Campeonato Carioca The 1970 edition of the Campeonato Carioca kicked off on June 27, 1970 and ended on September 20, 1970. It was organized by FCF (Federação Carioca de Futebol, or Carioca Football Federation). Twelve teams participated. Vasco da Gama won the titl ...

just before the World Cup Jairzinho would finish Botafogo's top scorer with 9 goals. After Jairzinho's excellent display in Mexico at the

more eyes of the world were focused on his Botofogo side. In the final four years of his time at Botafogo he'd prove to finalise himself as one of the club's most prolific goalscorers in the history of single starred Brazilian club, scoring 186 goals in 416 appearances with a goals per game ratio of 0,45. He ranks 6th in all time top goal scorers for Botafogo. One of his most standout performances starred in 1972 in which he scored a hattrick vs Flamengo during a famous 6–0 victory, one of the most memorable in Botafogo's history. In the same year he would also receive the Bronze Award for the South American Footballer of the Year.

Marseille

In 1974, when the sports legislation in Brazil finally changed, Jairzinho made a 1,250,000 FF (€300,000, £250,000) move to Ligue 1 side

, in October. One of the most expensive signings at the time, along with his Botafogo and Brazil teammate Paulo Cézar Caju. Jairzinho was welcomed as a superstar by the OM fans, the day before his debut game against AS Monaco more than 10,000 fans came to attend the training session in order to watch his first moments at the club. Jairzinho scored in his first game vs Monaco in a 4–1 victory and was immediately seen as a prominent world class winger to dominate European football. Jairzinho would go on to score 9 goals in only 18 league games, also notably delivering a memorable performance against FC Nantes in a victory 4–0 in the Coupe de France, scoring 2 goals. Though he made an impact with his goals and aura, his time ended shortly at the French side due to a scuffle in which both Jairzinho and Caju were allegedly found guilty of attacking one of the assistant referees, after a 2–2 draw in the first leg of the Coupe de France quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. The ''Groupement du football professionnel'' (the former LFP) suspended him and Caju for one year (plus one suspended), thus end up leaving in the summer of 1975.

Kaizer Chiefs

According to Jairzinho, Kaizer Chiefs co-owner Ewert Nene invited him to play a few games in reaction to his Marseille departure. Jairzinho agreed a short term deal until the start of 1976. The stadium atmosphere each time he went on the pitch, the warm welcome, and the fact that he was "treated like a king" were the key reasons he agreed to sign, he subsequently said in an interview with the South African newspaper "Soccer Laduma" in 2018. Jairzinho rarely played for the Chiefs though in only 3 league games, he scored 7 goals during his time in South Africa.

Cruzeiro

After the end of Jairzinho's contract in South Africa, he would finally rejoin his home country and reestablish himself as the world class forward he was known for. Jairzinho signed with Cruzeiro at the beginning of 1976, just days before the season campaign started. Jairzinho would score 31 goals in 43 games across all competitions, finishing second highest goal scorer in the

1976 Copa Libertadores The Copa Libertadores 1976 was the 17th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's annual international club tournament. The tournament began on February 23 and ended on July 30. Cruzeiro won the competition, being the first Brazilian team, ...

with 12 goals in 12 appearances whilst also winning the trophy, the first one for the brazilian club. Cruzeiro would then go on to play and ultimately be defeated at the

1976 Intercontinental Cup The 1976 Intercontinental Cup was an association football tie held over two legs in November and December 1976 between Cruzeiro, winners of the 1976 Copa Libertadores, and the winners of the 1975–76 European Cup, Bayern Munich. FC Bayern Munich ...

against

Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...

, losing the first leg 2–0 in Germany and drawing 0–0 at home. Jairzinho would only spend a year at Cruzeiro, however a successful period.

Portuguesa

Jairzinho, while aged 32 and still seen as a naturally gifted player, surprised his pairs when joining Venezuelan side Portuguesa in 1977. Jairzinho made Portuguesa one of the greatest teams in Venezuelan history, helping Portuguesa win a record 16 games in a row and their fourth of five championships. He scored 22 league goals within 24 games, including 3 hattricks.

Noroeste and Fast Clube

Towards the final stages of his career, Jairzinho would have a brief spell at Brazilian club Noroeste competing in the

1978 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A The 1978 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, (officially the IV Copa Brasil) was the 22nd edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Overview It was contested by 74 teams, and Guarani won the championship. First phase Group A Group B Group C ...

, in which Jairzinho would score 10 goals. A year later Jairzinho would join 2nd tier Campeonato Amazonense side

Fast Clube Nacional Fast Clube, or Fast Clube, as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Manaus in Amazonas, founded on 8 July 1930. Fast is the second-best ranked team from Amazonas in CBF's national club ranking, behind Manaus. ...

and would score another 10 goals throughout the year.

Jorge Wilstermann and return to Botafogo

In 1980, Jairzinho signed for Bolivian side Club Deportivo Jorge Wilstermann aged 35, scoring 6 goals in the Bolivian league campaign. In 1981, Jairzinho would return to Botafogo for the last true season of his career in which he would be idolised by the upcoming youth players. He would score 1 goal in a friendly match in 1981 however featured in no competitive arrangement.

International career

Jairzinho made his international debut as a 19 year old in 1964 against Portugal, again when Garrincha was injured. He played in the

1966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup was the eighth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was played in England from 11 July to 30 July 1966. The England national football team defeated West Germany 4-2 in the ...

in England, however with Garrincha back in the side he played as a left winger. Jairzinho struggled to be effective in this position especially at his young age, and he couldn't prevent Brazil from exiting the competition at the first round. When, after the tournament, Garrincha announced his retirement from international football, Jairzinho finally took over his idol's role for Brazil on the right wing. Jairzinho scored 2 goals out of the 6

1970 FIFA World Cup qualification A total of 75 teams entered the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Hosts Mexico and defending champions England qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition. Fo ...

matches. Now in his favourite position, Jairzinho became a far more effective and consistent performer for country. At the

in Mexico, Jairzinho was one of stars of the tournament. He made history by scoring in every game Brazil played in for the Seleção, for which he received the epithet "Furacão da Copa" (''World Cup Hurricane''). His second goal vs Czechoslovakia was one of the best goals of the tournament, completing an incredible solo run, beating a total of 4 players to unleash a powerful low driven shot to ripple the bottom left corner, which goes down as one of the most memorable goals in World Cup history. He scored his seventh goal of the tournament in Brazil's 4–1 world cup win over Italy in the final. However, his impressive goals tally at the finals were not enough to win the Golden Boot, which went to Germany's

Gerd Müller Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (; 3 November 1945 – 15 August 2021) was a German professional footballer. A striker renowned for his clinical finishing, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalsco ...

, who scored ten goals. Jairzinho has claimed that FIFA awarded him a "best body on the planet" prize for his athleticism; however, FIFA has no record of this award. Jairzinho 1974

Jairzinho scored two goals in the

1974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup was the tenth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in West Germany (and West Berlin) between 13 June and 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the ...

, which would prove to be his last World Cup for Brazil. The third-place final was his last match for Brazil until he was given a one-off farewell cap against Czechoslovakia on 3 March 1982 in a game which Brazil drew 1–1. He scored 33 goals in 81 games during his international career.

Style of play

Jairzinho was feared as a versatile forward who could cause damage and impose a severe goal threat from any position on the field. He possessed high athlete level pace and a quick burst of acceleration, an excellent first touch and direct dribbling ability, however Jairzinho's most unique attribute was his strength. On countless occasions many opposition defences would attempt to double up on Jairzinho and try deny him space in an effort to deny his direct goal threat imposed by his athleticism. He would apply himself as a hard working team player who would consistently track back and use his body structure to prevent opposition counter attacks by blocking or tracking runs. Jairzinho's movement off the ball was one of the key aspects on which he accumulated so many goals throughout his career. In the

he displayed his attacking instincts, especially with his goal vs England which earned Brazil the victory and broke the deadlock. The secondary run off Pelé for him to strike a powerful top left corner finish displayed his threat in front of goal as well as his overall attacking intelligence. His finishing ability was regularly acclaimed by many coaches and teammates. The timing, accuracy and power Jairzinho would develop behind his shooting were almost perfect and very challenging for goalkeepers to reach at full stretch. He also possessed powerful and accurate shots with his left foot which acclaimed him as a complete forward. As well as his effective attacking play Jairzinho possessed many talents on the ball and what many destined as "phenomenal technical ability". One of his signature moves included flicking the ball up from a pass in open play within the boundaries of the opposition box and cushioning the ball perfectly for an open shot. In terms of technical ability he also possessed smart creativity, which was best displayed from the cross Jairzinho put in for

Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; born 23 October 1940), known as Pelé (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled "the greatest" by FIFA, ...

vs England following the famous Gordon Banks save. Some claim Jairzinho is one of the most complete forwards of all time.

Managerial career

After retiring as a footballer, Jairzinho became a coach and managed a number of youth teams in his native Brazil. He also worked in Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In 1997, Jairzinho began his first journey as manager in Europe being appointed at Greek Super League club Kalamata. He was sacked due to poor results, his side relegated at the end of the season. Jairzinho was named head coach of the Gabon national team. However, he was sacked by Gabon's Football Federation after a crushing defeat against Angola in a World Cup 2006 Qualifier held in Luanda. Perhaps his greatest achievement as a coach was spotting

Ronaldo Ronaldo is a Portuguese given name equivalent to the English Ronald. It became a common name in all Portuguese-speaking countries, being also prevalent in Italy and Spanish-speaking countries. People Notable people known as Ronaldo include: As ...

as a 14-year-old whilst he was coaching

São Cristóvão São Cristóvão (, ''Saint Christopher'') is a Brazilian municipality in the Northeastern state of Sergipe. Founded at the mouth of the Vaza-Barris River on January 1, 1590, the municipality is the fourth oldest settlement in Brazil. São Crist� ...

. He kick-started the career of the future three-time FIFA World Player of the Year by recommending him to Cruzeiro, his former side, and the Brazil youth team.

Career statistics

International goals

:''Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first.''

Personal life

Jairzinho's son, also known as

Jair Ventura Jair Zaksauskas Ribeiro Ventura (born 19 March 1979), known as Jair Ventura, is a Brazilian professional Association football, football Coach (sport), coach and former player who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Besides Brazi ...

, is also a former footballer who managed Corinthians, Botafogo and Santos.

Honours

Club

Botafogo * Campeonato Brasileiro:

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

Campeonato Carioca The Campeonato Carioca (Carioca Championship), officially known as Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (Port., Rio de Janeiro State Championship), was started in 1906 and is the annual football championship in the state of Rio de Janeiro, B ...

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

* Torneio Rio – São Paulo: 1964, 1966 *Torneio de Caracas: 1967, 1968, 1970 Cruzeiro *

Campeonato Mineiro Campeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF (Federação Mineira de Futebol). The history of Campeonato Mineiro can be divided into two parts: befor ...

: 1975 *

Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

Jorge Wilstermann * Bolivian Primera División: 1980, 1981

International

Brazil * FIFA World Cup:

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

* Independence Cup:

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

Individual

* FIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 1970 * FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1970 * World XI: 1971, 1972 * South American Player of the Year: Bronze award 1972 * World Soccer: 27th Greatest Player of the 20th Century * IFFHS Brazilian Player of the 20th Century (19th place) *

Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame The history of the Brazil national football team began with the team's first international match in 1914. Brazil played in the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 FIFA World Cup, 1930. The Brazil national team has been successful throughout its history, w ...

References

External links