Fans of Roberto Dinamite bid farewell to the Vasco da Gama star at São Januário (video)

Brazil Agency - Thousands of fans pay their last respects to the star and Vasco idol Roberto Dinamite, whose body is being laid to rest at the São Januário Stadium, the club's headquarters in São Cristóvão, north of Rio, since 10:15 am today (9). The former player, aged 68, died on Sunday (8), after more than a year of treatment for bowel cancer. 

Before the gates even opened, the line of fans with banners and signs already stretched around the block outside São Januário stadium. In the morning, Edmundo, the former Vasco da Gama striker, attended the ceremony and couldn't hold back his tears as he stood before the coffin.

"It's very difficult to talk about someone you love, idolize, admire, and live with. I came here to São Januário when I was five or six years old to train futsal, and Roberto was training on the field, and I almost missed the time because I was clinging to the fence watching. Coming here from home, this film played in my head, and arriving here, this sadness of seeing him in a position we wouldn't want to see him in. But what comforts us is that he will rest, and the multitude of passionate fans here [present]," Edmundo said, his voice filled with emotion.

Zico, a Flamengo idol, also bid farewell to the Vasco da Gama star. Rivals on the field, the two players became friends off it.  

“We had so many moments of victory and defeat, but our friendship was always based on respect and affection, and I had the opportunity to spend many, many years with him. It was practically 50 years of friendship and great moments lived together. In the Brazilian national team, we were never defeated playing together. It is clear that it is a very great loss for our football, a very great loss for our country for everything he represented in Brazilian football,” said Zico, who was received with applause at his friend's wake.  

World champion in 1994 with the Brazilian national team, former full-back Branco was at São Januário to say his final farewell to Dinamite. There were many matches where the two were on opposite sides of the field: Branco at Fluminense, and Dinamite at Vasco.

"Roberto was and always will be a great role model as an athlete, a football player, and above all as a man, a spectacular person, incredibly humble. But he will certainly remain in our memory and in our hearts for the rest of our lives," said the full-back.

The ceremony remains open to the public at São Januário until 19 pm (Brasília time) today (9). On Tuesday (10), only family and guests will pay their last respects to the Cruzma star, from 9 am to 10 am. Following that, at 10:30 am, Roberto Dinamite's body will be taken in a cortege by a Fire Department vehicle to the Nossa Senhora de Belém Cemetery, in Duque de Caxias (RJ), where he will be buried next to his parents.