Animal Magic: Vasco bid farewell to unpredictable idol

His fame in Europe stems from two main instance. The first, a stunning goal against Manchester United in the 2000 Club World Cup, speaks of his on-pitch ability, of instinctive talent beyond the dreams of most footballers. The second is rather less praiseworthy: an infamous photo shows him plying a circus chimpanzee with (what appears to be) beer. (No, seriously.)


Yet the career of Edmundo, which was celebrated with a testimonial game last week, deserves a more nuanced appraisal. Capable of acts of breathtaking beauty, yet beset by personal problems, he came to embody the club with which he enjoyed a fruitful, if intermittent, association - Vasco da Gama.

I wrote a piece on Edmundo, and what he means to Vasco, over at The Score's excellent Footy Blog. Click here to read it.

(Photo credit: Gazeta Press.)