Preguinho

João Coelho Netto, "Preguinho", son of the writer Coelho Netto, was a complete athlete.

He played nine sports, being, as a football player, one of the greatest figures of Fluminense and Brazil. He was the author of the first goal of the "selecção" in World Cups, at Uruguai, 1930. He was also the first Captain of the Brazilian national team.

"Preguinho" and Fluminense were born almost together at the beginning of the 20th century. Fluminense was born 2 years, 6 months and 17 days before "Preguinho", an athlete that would give this club 387 medals, most of them gold, and 55 titles in 9 modalities: football, basketball, swimming, water polo, rowing, ornamental jumps, athletics and roller hockey.

Even practicing all these sports, football, that he started playing by influence of his brother Emmanuel, was always his passion.

"That leather ball was the one that always attracted me the most, that used to give me the biggest thrills", he used to say to his more intimate ones.

But this pleasure started to diminish with the appearance of the professional football. "Preguinho", that always considered football a pleasure and a passion, never became a professional. And he suffered a lot when a law that only permitted amateur players to play only 3 times in professional teams, came out.

In all the games "Preguinho" played he always scored. He participated in the 1936, '37 and '38 campaign for the Fluminense tri-championship and for five times he was the striker for Fluminense (in 1928 and 32, "Carioca Championship", with 16 and 21 goals). In 1929 he scored 9 goals, 20 in 1930 and 10 in 1932, totaling 184 goals with the tricolor shirt.

One of the unforgettable games of "Preguinho" was the "Fla-Flu" (Flamengo vs. Fluminense) of 1928. The goalkeeper Amado challenged him, at the game's week, with a telegram saying that he wouldn't score a goal in that game. "Preguinho" got into the field angry and at the 2nd minute he scored the first, with a long distance kick. The second one was scored with his heel, after the ball slided from the hands of Amado. Fluminense won by 4-1 and "Preguinho" went out of the game with his soul "washed". But the goal of his life, as he used to say, was scored on the 7th of December of 1930, when, against Botafogo, that year's champion, he saw the goalkeeper advanced and from his midfield he shot over the goalkeeper.

"Preguinho" was the Rio de Janeiro basketball champion in 1924, '25, '26, '27 and '31; athletics champion in 1925 and Volleyball in 1923. In 1925, after swimming the 600 meters and help Fluminense being the state tri-champion of swimming, he caught a taxi and played against "São Cristovão" to won the "Ínicio" tournament.

Such conquers made him the most dear tricolor hero and in 1952 he got the title of "Great Meritorious Athlete", a title that made him proud the most until his death in 1979.

At the Fluminense headquarters there's a sculputure (bust) of "Preguinho" that pays him the due tribute.

Source: Fluminet