Corinthians mourn former striker Geraldão, Paulista champion with the club in 1977 | OneFootball

Corinthians have announced the death of former striker Geraldão, a key figure in their 1977 Campeonato Paulista triumph. The club said in a statement that he played for Corinthians from 1975 to 1981 and offered condolences to his family and friends.

Born on 25 July 1949 in Álvares Machado, near Presidente Prudente in São Paulo state, he first caught Corinthians’ eye in 1974 when he scored the winner for Botafogo de Ribeirão Preto, where he played alongside Sócrates, in a 1-0 victory at Parque São Jorge.

He moved to Corinthians in 1975 and debuted on 20 August that year, starting in a 1-0 win over América-RJ at Pacaembu in the Campeonato Brasileiro.

A penalty-box finisher, Geraldão quickly became a terrace favourite. His peak came in 1976 and 1977, featuring in the Invasão da Fiel at the Maracanã in the 1976 Brasileiro semi-final against Fluminense, then leading the 1977 Paulista campaign as top scorer with 23 goals.

He built a reputation against São Paulo, scoring five times in five meetings in 1977. His honours with Corinthians also included the Taça Governador do Estado in 1977 and another state title in 1979.

Geraldão made 280 appearances for Corinthians, 237 as a starter, and scored 91 goals.

Source: Meu Timao

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”