HOW TO QUIETEN 200,000.

Alcides Ghiggia, died on July 16^th 2015 aged 88. He scored the goal for Uruguay which won the 1950 World Cup. He said “only three people have silenced the Maracana, the Pope, Frank Sinatra and me.” The game was the World Cup Final against Brazil at the huge stadium, with 200,000 in the crowd.

Brazilian legend, Pele, said later that it was the first time he had seen his father cry and there were several suicides reported!

The blame was spread widely and one sufferer was the traditional white kit of Brazil which was changed to the familiar now gold and green. The home goalie, Barbosa, letting in the goal at his near post, suffered humiliation for twenty years,. When he could he bought the stadium's goalposts and burned them over a barbecue!

Ghiggia was attacked by a crowd outside the stadium and had to go home on crutches and years later he was still recognised by Brazilians and made to feel uncomfortable.

Ghiggia went to Italy to revitalise his career in 1951, after “thumping” a referee in a domestic game. He played for Roma and stayed there for 8 years, enjoying the life of a super star, living the Dolce Vita, becoming friendly with Gina Lollobridiga (ask your dad who this was!) and owning three Alfa Romeos. When he was team captain he had to serve two months in jail for being found in a compromising situation in one of his cars, with a young girl.

He then went to Milan and with Italian forebears, was nationalised and played for the country five times in 1958. Ghiggia then went home, playing in the top flight until he was 42 and dying on the 65^th anniversary of his most famous match, still talking about football.

In 2010 Ghiggia was honoured at the Maracana where there is a mould of his feet, set alongside those of Pele, Eusebio and Beckenbauer.

Below is the crucial goal scored against Brazil.