Barba, cabelo e bigode

Afonsinho (the Beard), Paulo Cézar Caju (the Hair) & Nei Conceição (the Moustache) started their careers as soccer players in the mid-1960s, during a historical moment of strong political repression in Brazil. Originally as teammates of an established generation of Botafogo stars, they did not give up their freedom when the military dictatorship decided to summon themselves onto the field as well. Always faithful to the idea that soccer is a form of cultural expression, their respective struggles for free passes, against racism, and for countercultural freedom, among others, place them prominently in the rebellious lineage of the ball world. They embody the antithesis of the contemporary player, on or off the pitch, and to this day they practice civil disobedience.