Araken Patusca, the first great icon | OneFootball

Gabriel Pierin, from the Memory Center

121 years ago, on July 7, 1905, Araken Patusca was born, the first great idol of Santos Futebol Clube. A name that helped shape the club’s identity in the era of amateur football and would leave his mark through his technique, his goals, and his personality on the pitch.

In 1925, during Paulistano’s European tour — the club from the city of São Paulo to which he had been loaned by Santos — Araken was given the nickname “Le Danger” by the French press, a reference to his attacking and decisive style, which drew attention on European pitches.

The son of Sizino Patusca, Santos’s first president between 1912 and 1913, Araken had a natural bond with the club from Vila Belmiro. His story with Santos began in a curious way: at age 15, in 1920, he was at Vila Belmiro only as a spectator when left winger Edgar da Silva Marques fell ill during the warm-up. Football director Urbano Caldeira put him on the field for the reserve team. In the 5-5 draw against Jundiaí, Araken scored four goals, beginning his journey with the club.

His debut for the first team came on February 4, 1923, at age 18, in a friendly against Paulista de Jundiaí at Vila Belmiro. Santos was defeated 4-1, with Chico Massulo scoring the team’s goal.

In 1927, Araken experienced one of the most memorable periods of his career, becoming part of the so-called 100-Goal Attack, alongside Omar, Camarão, Feitiço, and Evangelista. That year, he was also the top scorer in the Campeonato Paulista, with 35 goals, and scored seven times in the 12-1 win over Ypiranga.

In 1929, after disagreements with the board, he was suspended for 90 days for showing support for players Siriri and Bilu. Although the punishment was later lifted, Araken did not remain with the club.

In 1930, he played in two matches for the Brazilian National Team at the first World Cup, in Uruguay, as part of the group of athletes linked to the Brazilian Football Confederation.

His return to Santos came in 1935, when he once again wore the club’s shirt alongside members of his family, such as his brothers Ararê and Ary Patusca, as well as his cousins Arnaldo and Oswaldo Silveira. In that return, he took part in the campaign that brought Santos its first-ever São Paulo state title.

In total, Araken Patusca played 193 matches for the club and scored 184 goals, spread across his spells from 1923 to 1929 and from 1935 to 1937. He later ended his football career playing for Estudantes Paulistas.

One of the first great names in Santos’s history, Araken helped build, in those early days, the foundation of what the club would become.

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