Exclusive: Rivellino on Corinthians' drought, fans and ‘Atomic Shot’ | OneFootball

A historic Corinthians idol, Roberto Rivellino gave an exclusive interview to Central do Timão, and in a conversation about Alvinegro and the many stages of his career, he spoke about aspects such as his relationship with the fans, the pressure to end the title drought, and the painful defeat in the 1974 Campeonato Paulista final. For the former midfielder, one of the most striking aspects of his time at the club was the closeness between players and supporters.

“It was fantastic, it was wonderful. And we were chasing a title. Corinthians was already in a long drought, and I joined midway through it. The Paulista championship title was what Corinthians wanted.”

Central do Timão

Rivellino recalled the routine from the days when he was still a young academy player and highlighted the daily interaction with the fans at Parque São Jorge.

“I used to get up at 5:00, 5:30 in the morning because I lived in the South Zone and had to go to the East Zone, where Fazendinha was. I took the bus and crossed the city to train. Then I’d go back home and my mother would be waiting for me for lunch.”

According to him, the relationship with the fans was very different from what exists today. The former player also highlighted what it was like to interact with journalists.

“We’d go into Parque São Jorge and run into the fans, the regular club-goers. There was direct contact because we talked. Every now and then someone would say, ‘How are you? Are we going to win on Sunday?’. Those were really nice conversations.”

“The press was there every day. We talked to journalists daily and stopped to give interviews. Sometimes I’d even give a reporter a ride because we were practically going the same way.”

Speaking about Corinthians’ long title drought, Rivellino explained how much pressure there was at the time surrounding the Paulistão title.

“Actually, back then, in my time, the issue was being São Paulo state champion. You could even be world champion, incredible as it may sound, but what Corinthians fans really wanted was the Paulista title.”

The former No. 10 especially recalled the 1974 campaign, when Corinthians came close to ending the drought.

“In 1974, we came so close. The first match was played at Pacaembu. We drew 1-1. In my opinion, it was a match we could have won, because we played well. I’m not saying that if the final had been played at Pacaembu we certainly would have won. But the possibility would have been greater, because Pacaembu was, in a way, our home.”

The walk home

“What happened there? Ah, I left. I left thinking about life. I didn’t look at anyone. Because more than anyone, I wanted to be champion. So I left. I walked away. I went home on foot, thinking about all of that.”

“To this day I still think about it. Because actually, I think God looked at me and said: ‘Unfortunately, you are not going to be a champion with Corinthians’.”

Atomic Kick, football schools, and behind the scenes

Other topics in the conversation included the origin of the nickname “Atomic Kick,” the work being done in football schools, and also the brief experience he had behind the scenes at Corinthians after ending his playing career.

“Since I was a kid, I’ve always struck the ball hard. I even broke a friend’s arm with a powerful shot. The same thing happened with the Brazil national team. In 1973, we played a match in Tunisia and I ended up breaking their goalkeeper’s arm. I always had a powerful shot. When I went to Mexico, they really started to highlight that characteristic. Since I really did shoot very hard, the nickname ‘Atomic Kick’ ended up coming about.”

Currently involved in projects to develop young athletes, the former player laments the lack of spaces where children can play football like they used to.

“Back then we played football in the street, there was space. Today those spaces are gone. Where are you going to play? I used to fly kites, spin tops, play marbles, and play football. Football was morning, afternoon, and night.”

“You go to a restaurant and see a child looking at a screen the whole time. A lot of times parents hand their child a cellphone just to keep them quiet. The kid spends the whole day there.”

Looking back on his brief stint behind the scenes at Corinthians, Rivellino admitted that the experience did not live up to expectations.

“I wanted to contribute to Corinthians, help the club, but I ended up disappointed. It was an experience I didn’t like. Honestly, I regretted it.”

At 80 years old, the Corinthians idol still closely follows the world of football. Even without having won the long-dreamed-of Paulista title with Timão, he remains one of the biggest names in the club’s history and one of the main references for generations of fans.

Watch!

The full interview can be watched on Central do Timão’s YouTube channel. Click here and check it out!

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.