Luizinho das Arábias

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Luizinho das Arábias
Personal information
Full name Luiz Alberto Duarte dos Santos
Date of birth (1957-11-13)13 November 1957
Place of birth Petrópolis, Brazil
Date of death 8 May 1989(1989-05-08) (aged 31)
Place of death Belém, Brazil
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Portuguesa-RJ
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1976 Fortaleza
1977–1978 Portuguesa-RJ
1977–1978Juventude (loan)
1979 Flamengo
1979–1980 Al Nassr
1980 Flamengo
1981 Bangu
1981–1983 Campo Grande-RJ
1983 Fortaleza
1984 Bangu
1984 Botafogo
1985 Desportiva-ES
1985–1986 Ferroviário
1986 XV de Jaú
1987 Fortaleza
1987 Paysandu
1987–1988 Itaperuna
1988 Ferroviário
1988 Paysandu
1989 Remo
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 January 2024

Luiz Alberto Duarte dos Santos (13 November 1957 – 8 May 1989), better kwown as Luizinho das Arábias, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward.

Career[edit]

Luizinho began his career at the age of 13, in the youth sectors of AA Portuguesa. He gave up football to study physical education in Fortaleza, but went back and resumed his career at Fortaleza EC. Back in Rio de Janeiro, he once again defended Portuguesa da Ilha, as well as Juventude, when he was loaned and played in the Brazilian Championship.[1]

In 1979 he was hired by Flamengo, the club where he won a third title in Rio. On 6 April 1979, he replaced Pelé, who defended Flamengo in a friendly match against Atlético Mineiro, which aimed to raise funds for those left homeless by the rains in Minas Gerais. The match, which was 1–1 at half-time, ended 5–1 for Flamengo, with a historic performance from Luizinho.[2]

He was later signed by Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and scored the club's title-winning goal in the Saudi championship against Al Hilal. This is how he gained the nickname "Luizinho das Arabias", although in 1980 he returned to Flamengo because he could not adapt to the country.[1]

At Campo Grande, he was champion and top scorer in the 1982 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. The following year, he had another spell at Fortaleza, and again he was champion and top scorer, this time in the Ceará championship. He also played for Bangu and Botafogo, before going to Pará, where he defended Paysandu and was champion in 1987. He would still defend Remo, the club where he played his last game, 24 April 1989, against AC Izabelense.[3]

Death[edit]

Luizinho began experiencing chest pains months before he died. At the time, he defended Fortaleza. He went for a consultation and the doctor who attended to him did not give a favorable opinion on pursuing his career. He said that more detailed tests should be carried out. In vain, a year later he was traded to Remo. It was in his apartment in Belém that Luisinho died. He suffered a massive heart attack and didn't appear at the club for two days. Just then the door to the place where he lived was broken into. Unfortunately, the death was confirmed. Luizinho was found lying lifeless on the bed. His body is buried in the Irajá cemetery, in Rio de Janeiro.[3][4][5]

Honours[edit]

Flamengo
Al-Nassr
Campo Grande
Fortaleza
Paysandu
Ferroviário
Individual

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "O homem que substituiu Pelé: Luizinho, um artilheiro das Arábias". Blog do Paulinho (in Portuguese). 21 April 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Jogadores do Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (Luisinho )". Flaestatística (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Que fim levou? Luizinho das Arábias". Terceiro Tempo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Em 89, futebol perdia Luizinho das Arábias". DOL (in Portuguese). 9 May 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  5. ^ "O dia em que azulinos e bicolores se despediram de um ídolo". DOL (in Portuguese). 8 May 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Elencos Campeõs". Ferroviário AC (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.

External links[edit]