Dudu, the Spiritist soccer star, answers: Can Corinthians be champion?

Marlene Rossi Severino Nobre

A very frequent question kept gnawing at our minds.  Corinthians is a phenomenon…  For some, it’s a cult, an overly cherished devotion, a disease even, with heart attacks and all…  But it is always Corinthians – “The Big Soccer Team”, the social phenomenon!  How can we forget this great suffering mass of fans when soccer vibrates in the soul of our people, from the fun games played by children and teenagers in any empty lot, where they learn their passionate ballet, to the great dancers on Mexico’s sports arenas, where Brazil won the World Cup for the third time, driving an entire nation wild?

That’s why we remember Dudu, Folha Espírita’s first interviewee.  Besides being a Palmeiras fan, which gives him ample freedom of thought to analyze the issue, Dudu is a staunch Spiritist, which is an excellent factor for sound judgment on any subject.

FE: And the question that torments many hearts: why hasn’t Corinthians won a championship in a long time?

Dudu: I would call this a test of the Corinthians collective, meaning the fans, players, directors, and coaches.  We, Spiritists, believe that how individuals approach challenges influence the nature of their experiences.  If we accept a trial according to God’s Laws — that is, with resignation, patience, and love — this difficulty won’t be so bad.  But if, on the contrary, we receive it with anger, complaints, and dissatisfaction, this trial will be much more difficult to overcome.

Based on the principle that God is all power, all goodness and justice, He does not abandon anyone and could not under any circumstances abandon this vast fan base.  The greatest proof that God has not abandoned Corinthians is the fact that, with each passing day, the club attracts more fans.  Its fan base has grown a lot lately, despite not having won the state championship for over 20 years.  Although it has long disappointed its fans and the press, it is one of the most popular clubs in Brazil.

Humility – the key to the problem

FE: Have the leaders of this great fan base ever stopped for a moment to think?  We’re talking about this in general terms, without specifying who.  Aren’t they exaggerating in their vanity and pride?  Each one wants to be better than the other, wants to be in charge, hoping to be the “savior” so they can say “I saved Corinthians!”  I believe that this is the critical issue that has been undermining the Corinthians’ brotherhood during all these years.

Dudu: I believe Corinthians can become champion again if the directors are convinced of the need to employ innovative ideas, in a completely different vein, full of peace and harmony.  If there’s detachment from material possessions, work with love and dedication, and, who knows, a new Pelé, the Corinthians brotherhood will be able to unleash the great joy pent up over all these years…

Players’ Anguish

FE: Dudu, we’ve heard some statements from Corinthians players and have witnessed the true torment they face with the fans.  The fans project all their anxiety onto them, particularly, and they suffer greatly. Have you had the opportunity to witness this?

Dudu: Over these ten years at Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras and five at Associação Ferroviária, de Esportes, Araraquara, we’ve seen that Corinthians athletes are indeed under tremendous pressure, and this is also reflected in the coaching staff.  Their large fan base, dissatisfied with so many years of waiting, sometimes lacks patience and refuses to accept the idea that the players don’t perform on the field.  I think this is also one of Corinthians’ serious problems.  The athletes have faced challenges with maintaining emotional composure during high-stakes matches in crucial games that can determine the outcome of a championship.

When we played for Ferroviária, we had the opportunity to watch, inside Parque São Jorge, during a match we won four goals to one against Corinthians, where many players were attacked by fans after the defeat.  They don’t understand the days of unhappiness these players have been through, and this also contributed to the delay in winning a title.

FE: “Voodoo curses”?

FE: Dudu, now for the puzzling question, but one we’re constantly asked: do you believe in “black magic works’ done against Corinthians?

Dudu: Indeed, this is a concern for many people. You know, in Question 549 of The Spirits’ Book, you can find many explanations on the subject.  If a person wants to harm someone, they seek the help of lower spirits who, like them, also serve evil purposes, and these, in turn, demand that the person continue to favor their evil designs.  But no one is orphaned by God’s love.  Evil is a product of humankind, and humankind itself must eliminate it by practicing love and charity.  Evil thoughts do not reach those who seek to cleanse their hearts of all evil and who work for good and who maintain their trust in God,  Thus, if there are negative thoughts against the Corinthians fans, I don’t know, but I am certain that selfless work, the struggle for the advancement of sport at its best, and the constant battle for the progress of our country can give this great brotherhood the sporting victory it so desires.

Projects for regulating the profession

FE: I find your considerations very timely and would like to take this opportunity to ask not only the Palmeiras star, but, above all, the president of the Athletes’ Union: how is the regulation of your profession going?

Dudu: First, I must say that our fellow athletes don’t have a clear understanding of what a union is.  When they file a complaint against a club or a specific entity, they don’t even know the union’s address.  This is a flaw, and I sadly report this.  We still lack unity among ourselves, and the athletes themselves are unaware of the power they wield, because we have so much support from the press.  We don’t want to use this power against anyone, not against the Brazilian Soccer Confederation – CBD, not against any club, only to use it to benefit ourselves when we stop playing soccer.  We’ve submitted projects in this regard to our honorable President Geisel.  He’s about to sign a very large project – The Big Fugap, that is a nationwide organization, National Foundation for Professional Athletes – FUGAP.  Another project is also in the hands of the Minister of Education, the honorable Ney Braga, for study.  When approved, we’ll have a better relationship between employer and employee, player and club.

The biggest problem for every athlete is the moment they stop playing.  If they haven’t managed their private life, they’ll be practically without a livelihood.  If a player gets injured and is no longer able to play soccer, the National Health Insurance Company – INPS – will support them while the injury persists.  Once they’re healed, they’ll no longer receive INPS assistance because, although they’re no longer able to play soccer, they’ll be able to pursue another profession, they say.  But what if they only know how to play soccer?  What should we do in these cases?  This is one of the many requests we’ve made to our governments over the past twenty years, and which are found in the aforementioned draft bills.

We Brazilians are peaceful and hopeful workers.  We are certain that tomorrow will bring better days, because our government will study our problems and support us.

Pelé as a Missionary

FE: How do you analyze Pelé?

Dudu: For us professional athletes, there’s an era in football before and after Pelé.  Before Pelé, professional athletes weren’t given much importance.  The athlete himself felt more valued after the 1958 World Cup.  He brought many different ideas about the responsibilities players should assume, and after acquiring these responsibilities, they began to receive higher salaries.  This led to a significant increase in the value of our profession.

For me, who knows a little bit about Spiritist Doctrine, Pelé is a missionary. Playing soccer, the way he does can only be done after having practiced it in many other incarnations.  He’s done and continues to do things no other player can.  We believe he went to the United States to finish his mission.  Having been welcomed by nearly every president in the world, he now arrives in New York City, earning one of the highest salaries in the United States, comparable to that of boxer Cassius Clay.  Married to a white woman, he’s demonstrating that racism should be a thing of the past.  Here in Brazil, racism exists in a veiled form, but in the United States, it’s quite pronounced.

FE: So, do you think Pelé should really go to the United States?

Dudu: I understand your question.  In fact, Pelé waited a few days to give his answer, precisely to see how the Brazilian people would react.  I don’t know the reasons that led him to accept, but as president of the Professional Athletes’ Union, I can only congratulate him, because in addition to his mission as a promoter of our country, he opened a new field of work for all of us athletes.

Here are the thoughts of our friend Dudu, the Spiritist star: “Courage, fellow Corinthians fans, with humility, euphoria will come!”