Corinthians mark Sócrates’ birthday with tribute to club icon | OneFootball

Corinthians marked Sócrates’ birthday with a social media tribute on Thursday, honouring the club icon born on 19 February 1954.

The club said in a post that it was grateful to Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, widely known as Dr Sócrates, for embodying Corinthians’ ideals on and off the pitch and for helping found Democracia Corinthiana. The message appeared on X, formerly Twitter, alongside artwork featuring images of the former player.

Sócrates joined Corinthians in 1978 from Botafogo of Ribeirão Preto. He was quickly embraced by the Fiel Torcida and won the Paulista in 1979, then again in 1982 and 1983. He made 298 appearances and scored 172 goals before moving to Fiorentina in 1984.

Beyond football, he helped lead the Democracia Corinthiana movement, which campaigned for players’ rights to engage in politics and for Brazil’s redemocratisation. He died on 4 December 2011, the day Corinthians became five-time Brazilian champions after a draw with rivals Palmeiras at the Pacaembu.

His legacy extends beyond the club and is recognised internationally. France Football created the Sócrates Award to honour social projects during the Ballon d'Or. In its second edition, the trophy was awarded to Brazilian Vinicius Júnior.

Source: Meu Timao