Few people know it, but the first ball that Raí played in anger was a basketball, which he played between the ages of 12 and 14, and for which he was vice-champion for the Recreativa team in his home city of Ribeirão Preto. Like almost every boy growing up in Brazil, Raí always played street soccer with his friends, but association football only became part of his life when he was 15 years old. A friend who played for the Botafogo team in Ribeirão Preto took Raí along for a try-out one day. At this time, the soon-to-be soccer star did not hold any great aspirations of becoming a professional player. After all, the family already had one soccer star: Socrates, the Doctor, considered one of the best players in the world at the 1982 FIFA World Cup, is Raí’s brother. But Raí ended up being shortlisted and was called up to train for the team. He played for Botafogo from 1980 to 1986. Until the birth of his first daughter in 1982, Raí didn’t take the sport seriously. He didn’t often go to practice and, when he did, he was always late. He was constantly distracted during games – people used to have to shout his name from the sidelines to try and wake him up and remind him that there was a game on. But a newfound sense of responsibility, which came with birth of his first daughter, Emanuella, started to change his relationship with the game of soccer. This new posture soon bore results and, in 1983, Raí turned pro.
On the advice of his parents, he kept studying and actually took two university courses, neither of which he actually completed: History and, later, Physical Education.
After his excellent learning experience with Botafogo, Raí had a very short spell with Ponte Preta, in Campinas, where he was plagued by several injuries, before going back to Ribeirão Preto. At this time, Raí was being trained by the Uruguayan ex-superstar, Pedro Rocha, who believed in his talent. Rocha saw in him a unique vision for the game and with this encouragement, Raí ended up being one of the few soccer players from a small countryside club to make it onto the Brazilian national team.
And, so, on 19 May 1987, Raí played his first game with the much coveted Brazilian team strip, in a 1-1 draw with England.
Photography: Hugo Gallo
Four months later, his call-up by the national team led to the biggest transaction ever undertaken between Brazilian teams up that point: Raí was bought by São Paulo Futebol Clube, or SPFC, for 24 million cruzados.
But the team was transitioning a difficult period. Honors were hard to come by and Raí had difficulties in adapting to life in the city, the team and, especially, the tactics of the then-club manager, Cilinho. Even so, he was part of the team that became 1989 São Paulo State Champion.
His performance began to improve with the arrival of manager Telê Santana to the team the following year. Telê is considered to be the person most responsible for the perfection of Raí’s talent.
“Telê’s rigorous style was very important to my evolution as a player. He was always demanding, he demanded dedication during practice, and, as a result, I ended up with my feet firmly on the ground and my head firmly on my shoulders”, says Raí.
With Telê, Raí exhaustively trained his level of concentration, the marking of opposing players and, mainly, goal scoring. Raí won the right to wear the coveted number 10 strip for the team, and from then on, the victories rolled in. His second São Paulo State Championship title for the team came in 1991, and he was the team’s top striker to boot, scoring 20 goals. That same year, together with a team full of stars like Zetti, Cafu, Antonio Carlos, Muller and Toninho Cerezo, among others, he won the Brazilian National Championship. Then came the two consecutive Copa Libertadores de América (the most prestigious international club competition in South American soccer) titles and the Intercontinental Cup in 1992.
In fact, one of the greatest rewards for the arduous journey made by Telê and Raí up to that point came in the final of the 1992 Intercontinental Cup, against Barcelona FC. More precisely, in a 79th minute free kick that had been rehearsed many thousands of times, and that will go down in memory as the most thrilling goal in the history of the SPFC.
In Raí’s opinion, as well as that of thousands of São Paulo supporters, aficionados of good soccer everywhere and managers both in Brazil and abroad, 1992 was the year of consecration for this star.
The obvious destination for the now-soccer idol Raí was the international pitches. Raí received several proposals, but he ended up choosing the French team Paris Saint Germain. In September 1993, he played his first match wearing the blue-and-red strip and even scored the only goal of the game against Montpellier.
But adapting to Paris proved even more difficult than adapting to São Paulo. The team tactics, the language and the climate were all foreign to him, and Raí spent most of his time on the bench. Once more, it took a change of manager for the star player to start to shine in the City of Light. His performance improved and so did the team’s standing on the French national league tables, jumping from 6th to 2nd place. Paris Saint Germain could hardly have won so many honors between 1994 and 1998 without Raí on the team: the Coupe de la Ligue (95 and 98), Coupe de France (93, 95 and 98), Ligue 1 (94) and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (96). The fans realized the obvious link between the star and so many victories and Raí soon became an idol amongst them as well. Even today, they consider him one of the greatest players who ever played for the team. PSG renewed Raí’s contract for 3 more seasons and the star only returned to Brazil after five years playing in France.
In his last match for the team, the public turned up to the stadium with yellow and green placards, singing “Aquarela do Brasil”. Raí was moved to tears. A few years ago, when it became known that Raí was watching a PSG game in their VIP area, the fans and even the players started to chant his name. And despite having returned to Brazil, the idol never permanently severed ties with the team from Paris.
Back in Brazil in 1998, Raí returned to the team he had always rooted for: São Paulo. He arrived, much to the chagrin of Corinthians, right before the big final of the São Paulo State Championship. What Corinthians fan could ever forget that fateful ball that found its way onto the first upright, only to be slotted away by a masterful Raí header, from right on the edge of the box. The way was open for another two goals that would see the title firmly in São Paulo’s hands once again.
The first time Raí wore the Brazilian national strip was in 1987. That year, Brazil was pan-American champion. In 1991, Raí became team captain, a position he held for 3 years. One of the goals scored by Brazil in their opening match against Russia in the 1994 FIFA World Cup came off his boot.
Like many Brazilian players before him, Raí had realized his dream of playing for the national team. But few have had the chance to kiss the much-coveted World Cup, as he was able to do after the epic final against Italy in 1994.
In 1999, Raí spent nine months off the pitch, after knee surgery. As soon as he recovered, he returned to Morumbi and once again helped São Paulo win the São Paulo State Championship against Santos. The star player took advantage of the victory to announce that he would hang up his boots.
In 2000, at 35 years of age, Raí bade farewell to the pitch. But he never said goodbye to his love for soccer.
Until he won fame on the pitch, Raí Souza Vieira de Oliveira’s life was as common as millions of middle-class Brazilians. He was born into a wholesome family environment, where education was of primary importance. His father, Raimundo, had completed three university courses. Raí played – and fought! – a lot with his older brothers: Sócrates, Sóstenes, Sófocles, Raimundo and Raimar. The first four were born in the northern city of Belém, where Raimundo and his wife, Guiomar, were civil servants. Raí, the youngest, was born in Ribeirão Preto on 15 May 1965.
He had not yet turned pro when he became a father for the first time, at 18 years of age. Today, he has three daughters and a granddaughter. His first two daughters, Emanuella and Raíssa, were born out of his first marriage with Cristina Bellissimo. Noáh, his third daughter, was born out of his relationship with Danielle Dahoui.
Raí also became a grandfather very early, at 34. His granddaughter Naira is the firstborn girl of Emanuella.
After growing up among five brothers, Raí is now surrounded by women.
“My destiny was to live in a female universe, which is a constant learning experience. Emanuella, Raíssa, Noáh and Naira are my favorite team.”
Photography: Abril
When he chose to move to Paris Saint Germain, Raí also took his personal life into consideration. A public figure in São Paulo, Raí craved greater privacy. As the team supporters in Spain and Italy tend to be more fanatical, he ended up deciding on Paris. Besides his professional achievements, Paris also provided great opportunities for the athlete’s personal maturity. The cultural scene and the gastronomic aspect of Paris had a big effect on Raí. His taste for art, fashion and fine wines were polished during the 5 years in which he had the privilege of living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. He made an effort to learn French in order to be able to absorb as much as he could of the culture and history of the country. Raí knows Paris like few others. With the passage of time, his condition as a hero among the French people helped him to discover a number of secrets that the city hides from everyday tourists and even the Parisian public. And he always managed to find time in the middle of his professional routine to explore the city.
Raí holds several aspects of French life in high esteem, especially their sense of social justice. His daughter and his maid’s daughter studied at the same school; in other words, they had access to the same quality of education. Living this different reality changed his opinion about Brazil and resulted in a strengthened desire to dedicate himself to social projects on his return.
Another city that Raí fell in love with was London, where he spent a year studying English, economics and sporting management. During the time that he lived in the British capital, from July 2006 to July 2007, Raí also worked as an international correspondent for the CBN network. Both in Paris and in London, Raí preferred to get around using the mass transit systems or by bicycle, a habit he maintained when he returned to São Paulo. Raí sold his car and he has never been happier.