The Brazilian player who left Real Madrid to play in Peru and became a champion
Peruvian football has been the protagonist of very peculiar episodes throughout its history, one of them happened when a two-time World Cup champion with Pelé and a player from Real Madrid left everything to come to Peru, sign for Sporting Cristal, and win the Peruvian League 1.
It happened in 1968 when, after winning the Spanish League with Real Madrid and twice the World Cup with the Brazilian national team (1958 and 1962), the footballer decided to come to Peru to try his luck without knowing that he would remain in the memory of all Peruvian football lovers.
We are referring to Didí, yes, the same one who was the coach of the Peruvian national team in the 1970 World Cup. The Brazilian played for Real Madrid in 1959, after winning the 1958 World Cup and was part of the legendary team of Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás.
Later, in 1962, he became a world champion again with the 'canarinha' alongside Pelé, so he continued to be in elite football for a long time. In 1968, he arrived as a coach at Sporting Cristal with the goal of giving the 'celestes' the national title, and he succeeded.
After winning the Peruvian football championship with Sporting Cristal, he joined the Peruvian national team in 1970, where he played in the World Cup that year, reaching the quarter-finals and losing 4-2 against Brazil, who would precisely win the title days later by defeating Italy.
Finally, the former coach of Peru passed away on May 12, 2001, due to cardiac complications, mourning the whole country for being the second member of the Mexico 70' team to leave this world.