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Brazilian stars at Eastlands

EVEN 38 years on, the mere mention of their names inspires awe: Rivelino, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto, Wilson Piazza, Brito, Felix.

Those six members of Brazil's peerless 1970 World Cup-winning side were at the City of Manchester Stadium this week to share a few of their football memories.

City's own 70s legend Mike Summerbee (far left) invited them up to Manchester for a club luncheon in their honour when he heard they were in Birmingham for a memorabilia convention.

Jairzinho even turned up in an England shirt, which he went out and bought after his luggage - including most of his clothes - got snagged up in the baggage fiasco at Heathrow.

Author and broadcaster Fred Eyre, a former City player, hosted the luncheon, which was attended by around 150 football fans - and claimed his own little role in the Jairzinho story.

Eyre explained: "I asked Jairzinho, who played 80 times for Brazil, who was the best left-back he had ever faced. And he said it was me.

"In 1991, he came over to England to be my guest of honour at the launch of one of my books, and he played for a Select XI against Cheadle Town, and I was their left-back.

"The people at the luncheon howled with laughter at this story, but I've got 150 witnesses who saw Jairzinho pick me out as the best left-back he's ever faced - and that's good enough for me!"

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They cant be any worse than what we've got.

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Sign them up Sven. They are better than some of the players we have today! See Mr Dunne shone again oh no Dunne scores again!

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Who Cares?

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Nice story. Great team. Any of them fancy a few games for City before the end of the season - and perhaps Fred could be the answer to our problems at left back! And buzzer down the right wing again....

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I care

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I think Rivelino could still do a good job for us - his free kicks would be much better than Petrovs, thats for sure...

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Yeah I care too Kevcod!

Utter ignorance on your part, if you knew anything about football, you would know that they were part of the GREATEST football team EVER to play the game.

You muppet!

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Those were the days when we had a team of which we could all be proud Mike,Franny,Colin,Doyle,Oakes,Young and the rest and of course yes the great Fred Eyre.
It was entertainment value beyong belief in those days and I count myself lucky to have experienced them.
We were the Brazilians of English soccer .. and managed by the great Joe Mercer who believed that the best method of defence was to attack the opposition and boy we did that par excellence.

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Awesome names, wish I saw the in their day, If you knew your football you would care.

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