Leivinha, Palmeiras and Brazil idol, dies aged 76 | OneFootball

Leivinha, a Palmeiras and Brazil idol, died on Thursday aged 76. According to Globo.com, João Leiva Campos Filho had been living with the effects of Alzheimer’s.

Palmeiras and figures from across football posted tributes on social media.

He joined Palmeiras in 1971 and became a pillar of the club’s Segunda Academia, winning national titles in 1972 and 1973. In total he lifted six trophies with the Verdão.

He ranks among Palmeiras’ five leading scorers in the Campeonato Brasileiro and sits inside the club’s all-time top 15. He made 267 appearances and scored 108 goals for the club.

An attacking midfielder with strong penalty area presence, Leivinha also played for Portuguesa, Atletico de Madrid and ended his career at São Paulo. He came through the youth ranks at Linense.

For Brazil he featured throughout the cycle and was selected for the 1974 World Cup, appearing in three matches. He also scored the 1,000th goal in the national team’s history.

His playing days ended early at 29 because of physical problems. He was born in Novo Horizonte, in the state of São Paulo, on 11 September 1949.

In the early 2000s he worked as a sportv pundit, appearing on the now-defunct Arena and on match coverage, mainly of the Paulistão and the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Source: Globo.com