BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRO-BRAZILIAN " ARTHUR FRIEDENEICH " WAS A BRIZALIAN FOOTBALL PLAYER AND WAS THE FIRST BLACK PLAYER TO PLAY FOR BRAZIL : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK HEROES "

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Arthur Friedenreich

Arthur Friedenreich

Friedenreich with the Brazilian national team .
Personal information
Date of birth	July 18, 1892
Place of birth	São Paulo, Brazil
Date of death	September 6, 1969 (aged 77)
Place of death	São Paulo, Brazil
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1909	Germânia
1910	Ypiranga
1911	SC Germania
1912	Mackenzie College
1913–1915	Ypiranga
1916	Paulistano
1917	Ypiranga
1918–1929	Paulistano
1930–1933	São Paulo
1933	Atlético Mineiro
1933–1935	São Paulo
1935	Flamengo
National team
1914-1925	Brazil	23	(10)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Arthur Friedenreich (July 18, 1892 – September 6, 1969) was a Brazilian football player. Nicknamed The Tiger, he was arguably the sport's first outstanding black player.^[1]

Biography

Friedenreich was born in São Paulo to Oscar Friedenreich, a German businessman whose father immigrated to Brazil, and Mathilde, an African Brazilian washerwoman and the daughter of freed slaves. Friedenreich was the first professional football player of Afro-Brazilian origin, because at that time football was dominated by Whites and Blacks were not accepted. He faced many barriers because of racism, and he could not attend the same places where white players were, such as swimming pools, tennis courts and parties.^[1]

He started his career influenced by his father, playing for SC Germânia, a Brazilian football team composed of German immigrants. After playing with a succession of São Paulo club sides from 1910 onwards, Friedenreich made his debut with thenational team in 1914. He played twenty-two internationals, including wins in the 1919 and 1922 editions of the Copa América, scoring ten goals. On Brazil's 1925 tour of Europe, he was feted as the King of Football.

He was not picked by Brazil for the 1930 FIFA World Cup because there was a serious misunderstanding between the football Leagues of the States of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo; only players from Rio travelled. São Paulo stars, like him (who was 38 years old), Filó (who would be 1934 FIFA World Cup champion with Italy) and Feitiço, did not go to Uruguay.

Playing record

Clubs

• 1909: Germânia
• 1910: Ypiranga
• 1911: Germânia
• 1912: Mackenzie College
• 1913: Ypiranga
• 1913: Americano from Santos
• 1913–14: Paulista ?
• 1914: Atlas* (Atlas Flamengo FC from Santos) ?
• 1914–15: Ypiranga
• 1915–16: Payssandu
• 1916: Paulistano
• 1917: Ypiranga
• 1917: Flamengo
• 1917–29: Paulistano
• 1929: Internacional*
• 1929: Atlético Santista*
• 1930: Santos*
• 1930–35: São Paulo
• 1933: Dois de Julho (BA)*
• 1933: Atlético*
• 1935: Santos
• 1935: Flamengo

*) just for one match.

clubs with "?" are not definitively identified.

Top scorer

He was top scorer of the Liga Paulista in the following years:^[2]

Year	Club	Goals
1912	Mackenzie College	12
1914	Paulistano	12
1917	Ypiranga	15
1918	Paulistano	25
1919	Ypiranga	26
1921	Paulistano	33
1927	Paulistano	13
1928	Paulistano	29
1929	Paulistano	16

Because of the internal quarrels and the ensuing split of the league into the LPF and APEA he had to share the top scorer title with the following players in the following years:^[2]

Year	Player	Club	Goals
1914	Neco	Corinthians	12
1927	Araken	Santos	31
1928	Heitor	Palestra Itália	16
1929	Feitiço	Santos	12

Friedenreich retired while playing for Flamengo in 1935 at the age of 43. He died on September 6, 1969 at the age of 77. His exact number of games and goals is not known. Friedenreich is reported to have scored 1329 goals in 1239 games. However, Pelé fans argue he scored 1239 in 1329 games.^[3]