Roberto Batata
Personal information
Full name Roberto Monteiro
Date of birth (1949-07-24)July 24, 1949
Place of birth Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Date of death May 13, 1976(1976-05-13) (aged 26)
Place of death Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
América-MG
1969–1976 Cruzeiro 90 (24)
International career
1975 Brazil 6 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Roberto Monteiro, commonly known by the nickname Roberto Batata (July 24, 1949 – May 13, 1976), was an association football forward who played for several Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Cruzeiro and for the Brazil national team.[1]

Nickname

Batata's nickname, meaning Roberto Potato, was given by the head coach João Crispim, because of his love for French fries (known in Brazil as batata frita).[2]

Club career

Born in Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Roberto Batata started his professional career playing for América-MG, leaving the club to join Cruzeiro in 1969.[1] Defending Cruzeiro, he won the Campeonato Mineiro in 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974 and in 1975, and the Copa Libertadores in 1976.[1] He played 90 Série A games for his club, scoring 24 goals.[3] Including other competition games, he played 281 games for Cruzeiro, and scored 110 goals.[2]

International career

Roberto Batata played six Copa América games in 1975, scoring three goals.[4] His first game was played on July 31, against Venezuela.[4] He scored his first two goals for the national team against that same country, on August 13.[4] His third goal was scored on September 30, against Peru.[4] His last game for the national team was played on October 4, against Peru.[4]

Death

Batata died on May 13, 1976, in Belo Horizonte, after a car crash at Rodovia Fernão Dias when he was traveling to Três Corações to visit his wife Denize and his eleven-month son Leonardo.[2] The accident happened one day after he played his last game for Cruzeiro, in which he helped his team beat Alianza Lima of Peru 4–0, scoring one of the goals.[2]

Roberto Batata is buried in Cemitério Bonfim - Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

References

  1. ^ a b c Enciclopédia do Futebol Brasileiro Lance Volume 2. Rio de Janeiro: Aretê Editorial S/A. 2001. p. 335. ISBN 85-88651-01-7.
  2. ^ a b c d "Roberto Batata (ex-ponta do Cruzeiro)" (in Portuguese). Milton Neves. January 30, 2009. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
  3. ^ "Roberto Batata" (in Portuguese). Futpédia. Archived from the original on July 21, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d e Seleção Brasileira 1914–2006. São Paulo: Mauad X. 2006. p. 295. ISBN 85-7478-186-X.
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