Alberto Leguelé

Brazilian midfield footballer Alberto Leguelé began playing the game in his hometown of Santo Amaro da Purificação in Bahia at an early age. Leguelé joined EC Bahia in the early 1970s, winning six state titles with the club (1971, 1973–77). His talent was soon recognised with a call-up to the national team for the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico.

Brazil reached the final where they faced the host nation, with the match finishing 1–1 in normal time. Extra time was started, but the match was abandoned due to a power failure, with a replay scheduled to take place four days later. The Brazilian team, however, had already returned home, with both teams being awarded gold. During the tournament Leguelé scored a penalty in Brazil’s 6–0 win against Bolivia, in addition to playing in their 14–0 thrashing against Nicaragua. One year later he also featured in Brazil’s squad at the 1976 Montréal Olympics where the team finished fourth after losing 2–0 to the Soviet Union in the bronze medal match.

Leguelé was rewarded for his performances with the national team by joining CR Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro, one of the most popular clubs in Brazil. His spell with the team, however, was short-lived with him playing just 15 matches with them before returning to local clubs in Bahia. He then played for multiple clubs during the 1980s before retiring and becoming a football coach.