Arthur Friedenreich

Young Arthur Friedenreich

Friedenreich was born in São Paulo to Oscar Friedenreich, a German businessman whose father immigrated to Brazil, and Mathilde, a Black Brazilian washerwoman and the daughter of freed slaves. Friedenreich was the first professional football player of Afro-Brazilian origin, because at that time football was dominated by Whites, and Blacks were not accepted. He faced many barriers because of racism, and he could not attend the same places where white players were, such as swimming pools, tennis courts and parties.[1] Also Friedenreich found it hard to make connections and friends in the world of Brazilian football due to the color of his skin.[1]

Friedenreich played football from his early childhood and then on. His father was very supportive of his skills and really helped him on his path to the great player he became. At some point in his life he married his wife named Jonas and together they had a son who they named after Friedenreich's father, Oscar. Both outlived Friedenreich and were left with no money.[1]

Friedenreich was often said to be the pioneer of 'jogo bonito' or 'the beautiful game', a style frequently associated with Brazilian football. The style involved playing very quickly with short passes as well as quick touches and combinations. It also relied on taking many long shots and attacking with 2-3 pacy strikers to disorient the defence. Despite being a shorter player (5 ft 7 in) he was known for his pace, power, and brilliant technical dribbling.[2]

SPFC squad featuring Arthur Friedenreich in 1931

He started his career influenced by his father, playing for SC Germânia, a Brazilian football team composed of German immigrants. After playing with a succession of São Paulo club sides from 1910 onwards, Friedenreich made his debut with the national team in 1914 which was the first ever game Brazil played beating Exeter City 2–0. In the game, Friedenreich famously lost two of his front teeth due to a heavy slide tackle.[3] He played twenty-two internationals, including wins in the 1919 and 1922 editions of the South American Championship, scoring ten goals. During the 1919 edition he became the first ever football player to score a hat-trick in a major international tournament.[4] On Brazil's 1925 tour of Europe, he was feted as the King of Football. He was also the top scorer in the São Paulo League in 1912, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1921, 1927 and 1929.[5]

Friedenreich was very young when he developed his own style of play and was 17 when he first became a part of an elite club. After that, Friedenreich bounced around from club to club until he found a long lasting home with CA Paulistano, a top Brazilian club. Friedenreich played for the club CA Paulistano for 12 years before the club disbanded. He then joined the club São Paulo da Floresta.[1]

He wasn't picked by Brazil for the 1930 FIFA World Cup because there was a serious misunderstanding between the football Leagues of the States of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo; only players from Rio travelled. São Paulo stars, like him (who was 38 years old), Filó (who was 1934 FIFA World Cup champion with Italy) and Feitiço, did not go to Uruguay. He continued to grow older and play for less and less elite clubs. After 1934 he only played locally and competed in those clubs. The last team he played for before his retirement very late in his career in the year 1935, was the Flamengo team from Rio de Janeiro[1]

There is a park in the Vila Alpina neighborhood, on the east side of São Paulo, with his name. The park, located at the beginning of Francisco Falconi avenue, is one of the biggest of the region. Still on the east side of São Paulo, there is a street with his name. In Rio de Janeiro, there is a school with his name, located within the sports complex of Maracanã, near the main entrance, on the left of Bellini statue.

Between 1909 and 1935

• 554 goals in 561 matches - Alexandre da Costa, in the book O Tigre do futebol[9][10]
• 558 goals in 562 matches - Orlando Duarte e Severino Filho, in the book Fried versus Pelé
• 354 goals in 323 matches - IFFHS
• 105 goals in 125 matches - Memorial of São Paulo FC

• 1909: Germânia
• 1910: Ypiranga
• 1911: Germânia
• 1912: Mackenzie College
• 1913: Ypiranga
• 1913: Americano from Santos
• 1913–14: Paulista ?
• 1914: Atlas* (Atlas Flamengo FC from Santos) ?
• 1914–15: Ypiranga
• 1915–16: Payssandu (a club of São Paulo City that no longer exist. This Paysandu is not the same of Pará´s State).
• 1916: Paulistano
• 1917: Ypiranga
• 1917: Flamengo
• 1917–29: Paulistano
• 1929: Internacional*
• 1929: Atlético Santista*
• 1930: Santos*
• 1930–35: São Paulo
• 1933: Dois de Julho (BA)*
• 1933: Atlético*
• 1935: Santos
• 1935: Flamengo

*) just for one match.

clubs with "?" are not definitively identified.

He was top scorer of the Liga Paulista in the following years:[11]

Because of the internal quarrels and the ensuing split of the league into the LPF and APEA he had to share the top scorer title with the following players in the following years:[11]