Luizinho das Arábias

Luizinho das Arábias
Personal information
Full name	Luiz Alberto Duarte dos Santos
Date of birth	13 November 1957
Place of birth	Petrópolis, Brazil
Date of death	8 May 1989 (aged 31)
Place of death	Belém, Brazil
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
	Portuguesa-RJ
Senior career*
Years	Team
1975–1976	Fortaleza
1977–1978	Portuguesa-RJ
1977–1978	→ Juventude (loan)
1979	Flamengo
1979–1980	Al Nassr
1980	Flamengo
1981	Bangu
1981–1983	Campo Grande-RJ
1983	Fortaleza
1984	Bangu
1984	Botafogo
1985	Desportiva-ES
1985–1986	Ferroviário
1986	XV de Jaú
1987	Fortaleza
1987	Paysandu
1987–1988	Itaperuna
1988	Ferroviário
1988	Paysandu
1989	Remo
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 January 2024

Luiz Alberto Duarte dos Santos (13 November 1957 – 8 May 1989), better kwown as Luizinho das Arábias, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward.

Career

Luizinho began his career at the age of 13, in the youth sectors of AA Portuguesa. He gave up football to study physical education in Fortaleza, but went back and resumed his career at Fortaleza EC. Back in Rio de Janeiro, he once again defended Portuguesa da Ilha, as well as Juventude, when he was loaned and played in the Brazilian Championship.^[1]

In 1979 he was hired by Flamengo, the club where he won a third title in Rio. On 6 April 1979, he replaced Pelé, who defended Flamengo in a friendly match against Atlético Mineiro, which aimed to raise funds for those left homeless by the rains in Minas Gerais. The match, which was 1–1 at half-time, ended 5–1 for Flamengo, with a historic performance from Luizinho.^[2]

He was later signed by Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and scored the club's title-winning goal in the Saudi championship against Al Hilal. This is how he gained the nickname "Luizinho das Arabias", although in 1980 he returned to Flamengo because he could not adapt to the country.^[1]

At Campo Grande, he was champion and top scorer in the 1982 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. The following year, he had another spell at Fortaleza, and again he was champion and top scorer, this time in the Ceará championship. He also played for Bangu and Botafogo, before going to Pará, where he defended Paysandu and was champion in 1987. He would still defend Remo, the club where he played his last game, 24 April 1989, against AC Izabelense.^[3]

Death

Luizinho began experiencing chest pains months before he died. At the time, he defended Fortaleza. He went for a consultation and the doctor who attended to him did not give a favorable opinion on pursuing his career. He said that more detailed tests should be carried out. In vain, a year later he was traded to Remo. It was in his apartment in Belém that Luisinho died. He suffered a massive heart attack and didn't appear at the club for two days. Just then the door to the place where he lived was broken into. Unfortunately, the death was confirmed. Luizinho was found lying lifeless on the bed. His body is buried in the Irajá cemetery, in Rio de Janeiro.^[3]^[4]^[5]