What is the life of Flavio Zandoná, the former Velez remembered for the historic blow to Edmundo

“With Edmundo I have one for and one against. The good thing is that I hit him in Brazil, and the cons is that I hit him from behind. I wanted to hit him head-on. ”These words correspond to Flavio Zandona. The former Vélez defender who, in a match against Flamengo for the round of 16 of the Super Cup, hit a tremendous left cross for Edmundo.

The story is well known and returns to be present every time the Loud and the Mengao they face each other in decisive instances or in continental tournaments. A classic of South American football. A sequence that is always repeated in the memory of the fans.

The image of the pineapple Chinese the Brazilian and the subsequent reaction of Romario, who entered with a flying kick worthy of a martial arts practitioner, remained in the popular memory of the fans of the Liniers team. But, What is the life of Zandoná?

In the preview of the match between Vélez and Flamengo, for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinals, the former defender has reappeared from Liniers and was photographed at the José Amalfitani stadium together with the fans of the fortineros with the drawings of his historic fist a or animalwhat was Edmund’s name.

The former athlete currently lives away from football and this reappearance is due to the fact that he was invited by the Vélez management to commemorate the consecration of the Copa Libertadores 1994 along with other historical players such as José Basualdo and Marcelo Gómez.

In dialogue with Tic Sport27 years after that violent episode, Flavio Zandoná, together with his former colleagues, provided unpublished details on the brawl that took place at the Parque do Sabe. The Chinese He assured that he “did not regret” hitting him and also hinted that the Flamengo striker was not much loved by his peers. In fact, in the hotel he was welcomed by all the Brazilians.

“I was hiding in the room, so I don’t know,” said the Argentine, who also regretted hitting him with the forearm and not with his fists. “I hit him with what I could“, released the former defender amid laughter.

Far from scolding him for his actions, the Chinese confessed that a family member had a 15% discount at the hotel for having your surname. It is insisted, the Brazilians seem to have celebrated that action much more than the Argentines. “It was useful for something,” she added.

Eventually, Gómez confessed that it was he who encouraged his partner to commit the attack. “Edmundo starts dancing with the ball on his back and I told him ‘Chineselook what he’s doing to you, don’t get carried away, ‘”said the Black.

But Zandoná retorted in the interview: “With all the letters say it. ‘Down, kill that son of a bitch who is accusing us’, these were the words I heard,” he added with a laugh. “He didn’t measure anything. Nobody remembers how he played, they only remember the pineapple,” added the former midfielder. And Zandoná concluded: “I am famous thanks to this”.

In the Liniers district, the trompada is immortalized on a flag and graffiti. He is an icon of the former footballer who will take the field tonight to watch the match between Vélez and Flamengo. By the way, in the preview of the pending crossing, the Chinese left a special message on the networks of the Loud. Hoping to play another final, she said: “Come and cheer tomorrow. Can. We could. Imagine yourself with this frame“.

Zandoná’s blow to Edmundo

It was there October 3 for the return of the round of 16 of the Super Cup. The Loud arrived in Brazil after losing 3-2 to Amalfitani and now suffered 3-0 at Parque do Sabe, where Flamengo had the attack they had dreamed of: Romario, Sávio and Edmundo, who each scored a goal that night .

When the result was already published, the Chinese Flavio Zandoná had to endure, in addition to the victory, also the loads of Edmund.

Although, in reality, he couldn’t stand it: the Brazilian started showing him the ball and the player from Vélez slapped him in the face. The Brazilian touched his face, spat on the ground and slapped him. Accustomed to charging, he turned around as if it was all over there but Zandoná distances himself and hits him with a left left that leaves him on the ground.

There was only one fight that ended in a flying kick of Grasshopper Romariowhich then ended up being immortalized in the graffiti on the flags of the Torcida del Flamengo.

Years later, when he was about to retire, Zandoná, who in 1994 joined the defense of Carlos Bianchi’s American champion Vélez, made a (halfway) self-criticism: “With Edmundo I have a pros and a cons. The good thing is that I hit him in Brazil, and the cons is that I hit him from behind. I wanted to hit him head on. “

As soon as Vélez, now led by Cacique Medina, settled in the semi-finals of the current Libertadores, after beating Talleres 1-0 in Córdoba and winning 4-2 in total, Twitter users remembered Zandoná. And, of course, also from his historic punch to the Maracana.