An attacking midfielder with good technical ability, movement and an eye for goal, Leivinha played for four and a half years on the Alviverde team
One of the great idols in the history of Palmeiras, João Leiva Campos Filho, known as Leivinha, died this Thursday (4) at the age of 76. The former player, who was part of the so-called second Academy, had been facing health problems recently. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Born in Novo Horizonte, in the interior of São Paulo, Leivinha began his career at Linense before standing out at Portuguesa, where he caught the attention of Palmeiras. Hired by Palmeiras in 1971, he quickly became one of the symbols of the team that enchanted Brazilian football in the first half of the 1970s.
An attacking midfielder with good technical ability, movement and an eye for goal, Leivinha played for four and a half years at Palmeiras and won two Paulistão titles (1972 and 1974) and the second Brazilian championship (1972 and 1973), in addition to trophies from national and international tournaments.
Leivinha is among the 15 greatest scorers in the history of Palmeiras and among the five players who scored the most for the club in editions of the Brazilian Championship. There were 267 games for the club (158 wins, 80 draws and 29 losses) and 108 goals scored.
The midfielder also starred in one of the most controversial moves in São Paulo football. In the decisive round of the 1971 Campeonato Paulista, against São Paulo, a legitimate header goal was disallowed by referee Armando Marques, who claimed a handball. The episode is remembered to this day as one of the most notable refereeing errors in the history of the tournament.
His performance at Palmeiras led him to the Brazilian team, for which he competed in the 1974 World Cup. In 1975, after winning the Ramón de Carranza Tournament and helping Palmeiras beat Real Madrid in the final, he transferred to Atlético de Madrid, in Spain, alongside defender Luis Pereira. NUpon his return to Brazil, Leivinha had a brief spell at São Paulo, but physical problems led him to retire early, at the age of 29, in 1979.
