Francisco das Chagas Marinho, generally known as Marinho Chagas or Francisco Marinho (8 February 1952 – 31 May 2014), was a Brazilian association footballer. One of the best left defenders of his era, he is best known for his flowing curly blond hair and his performance at the World Cup 1974, when Brazil finished fourth. On club level he is mostly associated with Botafogo FR of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo FC, but he played for numerous other teams, also in the North American Soccer League, in his career spanning from 1969 to 1987.

Career

Marinho was born in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. He played left-back with Botafogo FR of Rio and the Brazilian national team. He played the Football World Cup 1974. He was a skilful and innovative right footed left back who was considered at the time one of the top players at his position. He was an attack minder full-back with a powerful shot, and is considered a pioneer, becoming very influential in helping the lateral position evolve into what it is in today's Brazilian football.

He travelled the world and played for many different clubs in Brazil, the USA and Germany, always showing great skill and quality, but not settling anywhere for too long. His longest stint was with Botafogo, where he stayed four years from 1972 to 1976.

The years 1979 and 1980 he spent in the then cashed up North American Soccer League. In the first year he won, playing for New York Cosmos alongside the World Cup winning captains of 1970 and 1974, the Brazilian Carlos Alberto Torres and the German legend Franz Beckenbauer the 1979 Eastern Conference, but lost in the semifinal of the championship with 1-2 to eventual winners Vancouver Whitecaps. Marinho scored 8 goals in his 24 matches that season.

The following year he was playing with German striker phenomenon Gerd Müller for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in Florida for which he scored three goals in 19 matches. The Strikers finished the season as runners-up in the championship, losing the final 0-3 to Cosmos.

Back in Brazil he won with São Paulo FC the State Championship of São Paulo of 1981, the most notable title of his career, overcoming AA Ponte Preta in the finals 1-1, 2-0. His personal performance in this year yield him a third Bola de Prata of the specialist magazine Placar.

He ended his career as player with a brief stint in Germany where he played in the lowest amateur division, the local "C-Klasse", alongside some outdated former minor Bundesliga celebrities in Augsburg for the short-lived BC Harlekin, named after the chain of gambling halls operated by the quasi owner of the club, Mr Peter Eiba who had grand ideas to taking the club all the way to the first division.

After his return to Natal Marinho stood there as Liberal Party candidate for the city council, but was deafeated.

His release of the single with the song Eu Sou Assim ("That's the way I am") did not enter him into a career in this sector.

In 1991, he was hired to coach the El Paso Patriots, an amateur team competing in the Southwest Independent Soccer League.

Marinho Chagas is no relation to the Brazilian serial killer Francisco das Chagas Rodrigues de Brito, often referred to in press as simply Francisco das Chagas.[3]

Marinho Chagas died on 31 May 2014 in João Pessoa (RN), from a digestive hemorrhage.[4] At the time of his death, he was working as a sports commentator for a station in Natal. He was 62 years of age. The former Fullback had been battling Alcoholism in his later years, seaking treatment for illnesses related to his drinking. He was a father of three, two sons and a daughter as well as a grandfather to three. In an interview in 2013, he joked that he might have other children, given his wild ways, but that none of them come forward to claim him as their father since everyone knows he's broke.

Clubs

• 1968–1968: Riachuelo AC (Natal)
• 1969–1970: ABC FC (Natal)
• 1970–1972: Náutico Capibaribe (Recife)
• 1972–1976: Botafogo FR
• 1977–1978: Fluminense FC
• 1979–1979: New York Cosmos
• 1980–1980: Fort Lauderdale Strikers
• 1981–1983: São Paulo FC
• 1983–1983: Bangu AC
• 1984–1984: Fortaleza EC
• 1985–1985: América de Natal
• 1986–1987: Los Angeles Heat
• 1987–1988: BC Harlekin Augsburg (Germany)

National team

With Brazil's national team he played 36 matches(8 non-official) and scored four goals. He was a starter for every match during the 1974 FIFA World Cup, part of a very solid defense which allowed 4 goals in 7 matches in their way to a 4th place finish.

Honours

• Campeonato Paulista (São Paulo State championship) in 1981 with São Paulo Futebol Clube
• Campeonato Potiguar (Rio Grande do Norte State championship) in 1971 with ABC Futebol Clube
• Copa Roca: 1976 with Brazil
• Copa Rio Branco: 1976 with Brazil

• Bola de Prata: 1972,1973, 1981 by Placar for best player of the year in his position.