Mário Sérgio Pontes de Paiva aka Mario Sergio.
Born 7th September 1950 Rio de Janeiro. Passed away on the 28th November 2016.
A supremely talented footballer who would go on to be a manager and eventually a commentator for Fox Sports Brazil. He picked up 8 appearances for the national team between 1981 and 1985. Unfortunately his death was somewhat overlooked as he was on the LaMia Airlines flight 2933 accident in the Columbian village of Cerro Gordo, La Union, Antioquia while travelling with the Chapecoense football squad for the Copa Sudamericana finals on 28th November 2016.
Sergio had a successful career spanning 18 years across some of the biggest names in South American football including:
- Flamengo
- Vitória
- Fluminense
- Botafogo
- Rosario Central
- São Paulo
- Grêmio
- Palmeiras
Sergio was not known for goal scoring or defensive capabilities but instead his vision and playing style. A creative player who could play deft through balls and open a defence with his wand of a left foot.
The standout skill about Sergio's playing style was that he never looked down at the ball. He was the master of playing with your head up. A great example to younger players wishing to improve their game. One of the fundamental things young players should learn is to play with their head up. For a lesson in this, just have a look at this clip of Sergio playing against Hamburg in 1983:
