Socrates dies at 57

Former Brazil captain Socrates has died at the age of 57.

He had been in a critical condition with an intestinal infection since being admitted to intensive care on Friday at a hospital in Sao Paolo.

Socrates, who was widely regarded as one of the greatest ever midfielders, was then moved on to life support on Saturday at the Sao Paolo hospital.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16017071.stm

I loved that Brazil team, to this day, I believe the best football team to have ever played the game.
He was one of the midfielders ever and was the engine room of that team.

RIP

Very sad news.

To me, the Brazil team of 1970 will always be ''the best football team to have ever played the game''. However, Socrates was certainly still a wonderful footballer and a great leader of a great team in the following decade.

As a keen follower of football and cricket since the mid 1960s, hardly a weekend seems to go by without the death of a leading figure from one of those sports whom I instantly recall as a strong, young man. It would still be sad but far more understandable if those passing away had lived to a ripe old age. Not all but too many seem only to reach late middle age making the shock the more greater.

Never seen him before today and looking on youtube all I can say is wow.

Horrible news

Fantastic player.
Coolness personified.
Smoked like a chimney.
Drank like a fish.
Advocated democracy in the face of military government in Brazil.
Directed a play.
Wrote a novel.
What a guy.