Vítor Baptista

Vítor Manuel Ferreira Baptista (Setúbal, 18 October 1948 - 1 January 1999) was a Portuguese football player. He played among other clubs for Vitória de Setúbal, but his most success came at SL Benfica from Lisbon during the 1970s. He had 11 caps for the Portugal national football team, scoring 2 goals, from 17 February 1971, in a 0-3 defeat to Belgium, in Brussels, to 17 November 1976, in a 1-0 win over Denmark. [http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/seleccao_jogador.php?id=134] (in Portuguese)

His life story was tragic since he became a reasonably wealthy, popular and talented player at the peak of his career, although somewhat eccentric, credited as a rebel and polemic figure, but after his retirement he ended his last years as a "cantoneiro" (road-mender) and drug addicted.

Many stories about him were related by his former teammates and football fans. One day he lost his earring on the pitch during a match and the event had to be paused under the eyes of a 50,000 people crowd with Baptista, the referee and other players trying to find it. Other are about his extravaganzas in hotel rooms, restaurants and nightclubs, or simply when he arrived late to the training or crashed another brand new car.

The song "Rapaz do Brinco" (The earring boy) by Portuguese musician Vitorino is about this man's life. [http://www.instituto-camoes.pt/cvc/disco/145/disco145.html] (in Portuguese)