April 6th is a special day for Flamengo fans. While the date in 2010 was marked by the chaos caused by heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro, 31 years ago, the Marvelous City was filled with joy. Especially at the Maracanã, which woke up flooded this Tuesday. In 1979, Rio fans witnessed two of the greatest players of all time play alongside each other in a Flamengo jersey.

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Zico and Pelé made that night historic for the red-and-blacks. Already 39 years old, Pelé had a strong performance, despite not scoring a single goal. Zico, who wore the number 9 jersey, giving his new teammate the number 10, scored his own from the penalty spot in the 5-1 rout of Atlético-MG. The proceeds from the match, which reached CR$8.781.290,00 with a paying crowd of 139.953, were donated to flood victims in Minas Gerais. Julio Cesar, also known as Uri Geller, will never forget that match.

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"My biggest dream was to play with Pelé. I never imagined playing alongside him. Coincidentally, I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a guy next to me. When I looked up, it was the black guy sleeping next to me. It was fantastic," he recalled.

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For Pelé to be able to play, someone from that team, considered one of the greatest in Flamengo's history, would have to leave. Adílio was the one who had to leave.

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"Someone had to leave the team. But who was Coutinho going to take out? It's a funny story. At training on Thursday, before the game, he fell after taking a blow. It was nothing, but they came in with a cast on his hand and he ended up leaving," he recalled.

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Uri Geler shines - One of the game's standout players, with his dribbling and crossing, Uri Geller has fond memories of that day.

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"He even joked that he wanted me to provide the passes for his goals. I tried many times to find him on the field, but I only found Zico. It was fantastic. I played great matches with that team, but this was a special day to play alongside Zico and Pelé," he added.

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Led by the eternal Galinho Zico, who scored three times, and winger Júlio César, Flamengo thrashed Atlético-MG 5-1. In a team boasting great idols like Rondinelli, Júnior, and Andrade, King Pelé had no trouble adapting and sending the fans into a frenzy. Relive this historic match in detail at Flapedia article.