| |
 Edmundo goes bananas Striker's a sight to see -- when he's not giving beer to apes
Posted: Tuesday September 28, 1999 04:22 PM
All in a week's work for the most maddening, frustrating, jaw-dropping, hair-pulling, coronary-inducing center forward in the universe. Last Wednesday, Edmundo scored two goals and created two others in leading Vasco da Gama to a 4-2 away win at Corinthians. An hour after the game he attacked a fan in the stadium parking lot. On Thursday he celebrated his son's first birthday by hiring a traveling circus and surrounding himself with clowns, monkeys, magicians and elephants. You almost wonder if Edmundo himself enjoyed it more than the kid. After all, it seems that the guy has a traveling sideshow that follows him everywhere. The highlight came when he fed a beer to a chimpanzee. A gesture which was very funny (at least to him), but less so to Brazilian authorities who may prosecute him, fine him and possibly even impose a jail sentence. On Friday, Brazilian boss Wanderley Luxemburgo left him out of the Selecao to face Holland. No big surprise there, Edmundo has never been too popular with the Brazilian federation, but still a letdown. He got his revenge on Sunday, scoring both goals in Vasco's 2-0 shutout of Internacional. Edmundo is another one in the long line of superstars who straddle the line between genius and folly. It's a rare breed, blessed with near-divine skills and the intuition to visualize and perform feats that are beyond the reach of mere mortals. From George Best to Bernd Schuster, to the greatest of them all, Diego Maradona, they've enchanted and infuriated and in some cases come so very close to throwing it all away. If soccer is an art form, then it stands to reason that some of our greatest players should share a common trait with some of our greatest painters and musicians. Just as Vincent Van Gogh veered towards insanity and Jimi Hendrix flirted (and eventually embraced) self-destruction, some of our superstars have tasted lunacy as well. Some believe that a degree of folly is a prerequisite for genius. I'm not convinced. Zico, Platini and Eusebio, to name but three, qualify as geniuses in my book and they seem entirely well-adjusted, "normal" human beings. More likely, however, we simply notice their folly more, simply because they are involved in a creative field. Give an Edmundo or a Best or a Paolo Di Canio a soccer pitch on which to weave his magic, place him under the media microscope and, odds are, you will see something snap. Last May, I spoke to Edmundo in Florence. He had just announced that he would be returning to Brazil at the end of the season. "I'm realistic about my talent," he said. "I am probably the greatest player in the world. On their day, maybe Ronaldo or Del Piero or a few others might be equal to me." To the common observer, only a megalomaniac or a supremely arrogant being could utter such words.
Up close however, Edmundo seems disappointingly normal. He speaks softly while being firm, and he cracks jokes without being a buffoon. It is hard to believe that he is serving a 4 1/2 year suspended sentence for vehicular manslaughter, that he has assaulted fans, teammates and cameramen or even that he once managed to collect six red cards in a single season. "In Brazil, I decided where and how I played," he said, explaining why he was giving up the Tuscan countryside for the beaches of Rio. "I decided if and when I got substituted. In Italy, players have to do what the manager tells them to do." And in the real world employees do what their bosses tell them to do. But then, that's not the point with people like Edmundo. You can't make them fit in. You can only reason with them to a point. Sure, it's fair to say that if Edmundo had kept his nose clean, he may have been part of Brazil's World Cup winning team in 1994. Or that if he had been a little more flexible and a little less egomaniacal he might have won another World Cup in 1998, rather than limiting himself to two brief appearances as a substitute. Yet if he had done that, he wouldn't have been Edmundo. When I first sat down to write this, I envisioned contemplating wasted talent. After all, Edmundo probably doesn't make anybody's list of Top 10 Strikers. But right now there are no more than two or three players out there who can do what he does with a soccer ball. He has achieved a lot, but at age 28, will probably never achieve what he could have. Still, perhaps that should not really matter. Perhaps not all players should be held to the same standard. Perhaps it is not only about winning and scoring goals. Perhaps if Edmundo had led a more straight-laced life he would not be Edmundo, he'd be just another run-of-the-mill striker. Ultimately, we remember incidents, episodes, images ... not statistics. And when I remember Edmundo, I am going to remember the unbelievable things he did on the field, not the fact that he never achieved what he might have. Beyond that, I really don't care if he's arrogant, deluded, certifiably insane or even if he decides to force-feed a chimpanzee an entire keg of cheap beer. What matters in the long run is the wonderful moments he gives those who love the sport.
Extra timeDavid Beckham was called before the English Football Association last Monday to discuss his disciplinary record. The Manchester United midfielder has collected a string of yellow cards and questioning his temperament has become a national pastime in Britain. He has been described as "arrogant," "petulant" and "a cheat". While Beckham has shown a propensity to take a tumble in the last few months, you've got to wonder if the F.A. wouldn't be better off focusing on more pressing issues (like perhaps finding another English midfielder who can pass the ball). If Beckham wants to be arrogant, that is his problem and he'll face the consequences. If he chooses to dive, all you have to do is enforce the laws of the game. But singling him out is not just unfair, it is counterproductive. I received a media release from UEFA discussing the proposed "UEFA Nations Cup", a new competition aimed at replacing "meaningless friendlies" and "adding a competitive edge to the fixture list." The proposal was criticized by some as just another money-spinning idea which would merely intensify an already congested soccer calendar. But UEFA's press release clearly says that the proposed cup "will not mean additional fixtures," "will not spell the end of friendly matches" and "will not generate extra revenue for UEFA." Now, the first two points appear mutually exclusive. If you're going to continue playing friendlies, how can you possibly also play in the UEFA Nations Cup without increasing the overall number of fixtures? As for not generating any extra money, well, if it's not financially appealing, then what's the point? The idea behind friendly matches is not to generate public interest, it is for managers to try out new players and new formations. Right now, the game needs the UEFA Nations Cup about as much as David Beckham needs another Spice Girl spouse. The Bulgarian Supreme Administrative Court has suspended the country's soccer federation and revoked its license. The move has to do with administrative squabbles and the Bulgarian sports ministry's seven percent levy on transfer activity which, it claims, has not been paid. This will prove to be an interesting situation for FIFA because, under its by-laws, member federations must be democratically elected and be free of government interference. Last year, the Polish federation was suspended by FIFA under similar circumstances. It's a sad day for Bulgarian soccer, a country which is trying to rebuild after the passing of its "golden generation" of Stoichkov, Lechkov and Ivanov.
| |||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||||
