Hilderaldo Bellini

Hilderaldo Bellini
	Bellini in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Hilderaldo Luís Bellini
Date of birth	7 June 1930
Place of birth	Itapira, Brazil
Date of death	20 March 2014 (aged 83)
Place of death	São Paulo, Brazil
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Defender (retired)
Youth career
1941–1947	Itapirense
Senior career*
Years	Team
1947–1948	Itapirense
1948–1952	São Joãnense
1952–1961	Vasco da Gama
1961–1968	São Paulo
1968–1969	Atlético Paranaense
Total
National team
1957–1966	Brazil
Honours
Men's Football
Representing Brazil
FIFA World Cup
Copa América
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Hilderaldo Bellini (7 June 1930 – 20 March 2014) was a Brazilian football player. He has played for Brazil national team. He is of Italian origin who played as a defender and he was known in Brazil to be considered as one of the nation's most solid central defenders ever. Widely regarded to be one of the best Brazilian centre-backs of his generation. Bellini was known as a solid and reliable defender and was known for his marking and covering. Bellini was a strong, lean defender who stood out in the box. He compensated for limited technique with seriousness and loyalty to opponents, which earned him the post of captain for the national team in 1958.

Club career

In 1947, Hilderaldo Bellini joined the newly founded Sociedade Esportiva in his hometown of Itapira – located around 180 km east of the state capital of São Paulo on the border with Minas Gerais – which that year took part in the state’s interior championship, the Campeonato do Interior. From 1949 he played for Esportiva in nearby São João da Boa Vista. At the end of 1952 he was brought to the CR Vasco da Gama in the then federal capital Rio de Janeiro. With the state championship in 1952, the Maltese cruisers won the last title of their era as Expresso de Vitória, the golden era of the club. He went through his club career until 1961 at Vasco da Gama, FC São Paulo (until 1968) and ended his active career in 1969 at Athletico Paranaense.

International career

He made his debut for the national team on July 13, 1957 in Lima against Peru (1-1), During his career in the national team, which lasted 9 years, he played 51 matches for Brazil. As part of the national team, he was a participant in the 1957 Copa América draw in Peru, where together with the team he won "silver", Bellini was captain and central defender in the Seleção at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, when Brazil won the World Cup for the first time with exciting combination football and a surprising 4-2-4 system for the Europeans. The defender, nicknamed "Eisenfuss", ensured that Vicente Feola's team went through the preliminary round and the quarter-finals in Sweden without conceding a goal and only conceded their first two goals in the semi-final against France. His greatest strength wasn't necessarily on the field, but in his personality, which made him a leading figure at Vasco and in the national team. The defensive formation of the tournament in Sweden with goalkeeper Gilmar, the full -back pair Djalma Santos and Nílton Santos as well as in central defense with Bellini and Orlando and the defensive boss in midfield, Zito, was among the best that world football has ever seen in previous world tournaments. The outstanding defensive skills of Brazil's first world champion team took a back seat to the outstanding attacking players Garrincha, Didi, Vavá, Zagallo and Pelé. Brazil won 5-2 against the host Sweden, Bellini is credited with starting the tradition of lifting the trophy into the air in football. He initially did this so that photographers could have a better view of the trophy and, as the photos were published around the world, the gesture became associated with victory. He was named to participated during the Copa América in 1959 and Brazil finished as runners-up, Bellini still took part in the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile - there he was only a reserve for his successor Mauro and followed the title defense from the bench - and came in his third World Cup participation in 1966 in England again in two group games, after Brazil was eliminated, Bellini was no longer called up to play for Brazil.

Death

Bellini died on 20 March 2014, aged 83, in São Paulo, due to complications caused by Alzheimer's disease ending with cardiac arrest.^[1] After his death, an autopsy revealed that Bellini had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).^[2]