Batista (footballer, born 1955)

For the Brazilian sprinter, see João Batista da Silva (athlete).
In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Batista and the second or paternal family name is da Silva.

Batista
Personal information
Full name João Batista da Silva
Date of birth (1955-03-08) 8 March 1955 (age 69)
Place of birth Porto Alegre, Brazil
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1981 Internacional 172 (9)
1982 Grêmio 23 (0)
1983 Palmeiras 12 (2)
1983–1985 Lazio 43 (2)
1985 Avellino 14 (1)
1985–1987 Belenenses 8 (0)
1988–1989 Avaí 8 (0)
Total 280 (14)
International career
1975–1976 Brazil Olympic 18 (1)
1978–1983 Brazil 38 (0)
Medal record
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1975 Mexico City Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

João Batista da Silva (born 8 March 1955), known as Batista, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

He competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in football at the 1975 Pan American Games.[1]

Club career

Throughout his club career, Batista played for several clubs, mainly[ in Brazil, but also in Italy and Portugal, namely: Internacional (1973–1981), Grêmio (1982), Palmeiras (1983), Lazio (1983–1985), Avellino (1985), Belenenses (1985–1987), and Avaí (1988–1989). During his time with Internacional, he won three Campeonato Brasileiro Série A titles, in 1975, 1976, and 1979.[2]

International career

Batista competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics, where Brazil finished in fourth place, and he also won a gold medal in football at the 1975 Pan American Games.[1]

Batista won 38 senior international caps for Brazil from April 1978 to June 1983, but did not score a goal. He played also in two editions of the FIFA World Cup, in 1978 and 1982.[2][3] In the 1978 tournament, Batista played throughout all seven of Brazil's matches, with the team not losing a single match, and only conceding three goals. Brazil failed to qualify for the final on goal difference, eventually finishing the tournament in third place.[2]

In the 1982 World Cup, Batista was a reserve. He played once as a substitute for Zico, coming on in the final minutes of the team's second–round match against Argentina. Famously, Diego Maradona was sent off for his foul on Batista after Batista had flattened Juan Barbas.[2][4]

He was also a member of the Brazil team that finished in third place at the 1979 Copa América.

Style of play

Batista usually played as a defensive midfielder, where he was known for his ability to aid his team defensively, but also had the capacity to help build attacking plays after winning back possession. However, he was also known for his lack of pace.[2]

After retirement

Since retiring, Batista has been working as a commentator for Brazilian television channel RBS, which is part of the Globo TV circuit.[5]

Honours

Internacional

Avaí

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Batista (João Batista da Silva)". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e Iaccarino, Lucio (16 January 2012). "Batista: Meteora del calcio italiano" (in Italian). TuttoCalciatori.net. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  3. ^ João Batista da Silva Statistics FIFA; retrieved 2 February 2010
  4. ^ "Castrol World Cup Legends: Diego Maradona – 1986". Goal.com (10 June 2010). Retrieved 14 December 2012
  5. ^ "BATISTA" (in Portuguese). UOL. Retrieved 13 April 2020.