NO ONE TEACHES ANYONE HOW TO PLAY FOOTBALL
— Unknown | 1961 —

Lula doesn't get angry when people call him a mere shirt distributor at Santos. He smiles phlegmatically at the accusation and says with a tone of irony:

Lula: I'm not to blame if they spend millions and can't put together a good team. No one is unaware that I received Pelé, Coutinho, Pepe and others under 18 and forged them in a simple style, which is the best system for creating great teams.

— What is Santos’ system, Lula?

Lula: In football, it is useless to invent or try mysterious formulas. Nobody teaches anyone how to play. That's why, at Santos, I don't adopt the diagonal, WM, zone marking, 4-2-4 or any other system. I try to explore the category of each star in their sector. Only one thing I don't do: I don't select players without class.

The 1960 Paulista champion coach guarantees that his way of working has given the best results:

Lula: If it hadn't been that way in the seven years I've been at Santos, I wouldn't have achieved excellent results or revealed new values every year. Do you want an example? I was champion in 55 and 56 and runner-up in 57 without Pelé or Coutinho in the team. Since 1958, a new Santos has been formed, with players of international prestige, many of whom were trained in Vila Belmiro itself.

He pulls over the book "Arte y Ciencia del Futebol Moderno", by the Hungarian Plattkó, which he was reading, and makes a revelation:

Lula: I like reading everything about football to keep up with other people's ideas. But I have my own views on the matter. So much so that, unlike other coaches, I don't bother my teammates before the game with instructions. I only tell them what is necessary. When things get ready, however, the conversation lasts longer.

Then, concluding the chat, the Santos coach states:

Lula: Do you want another example that the point is not to complicate the players? A long time ago I moved Pelé from being a playmaker to a spear-head (and he doesn't forgive me for that, as he likes to play from behind). However, our star can also help with the playmaking, when necessary, and he has done this many times, as you may have seen. I firmly believe that the player needs freedom, but we should never expect that any João can produce what is expected if he does not have an essential quality for a star: class. The rest is idle talk, because, I repeat: no one teaches anyone how to play football.

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Isaque Argolo: Contrary to what Lula said about him not having Pelé in the Campeonato Paulista 1957, Pelé did actually play that edition.