César Lazzarini Founded Brazilian Clubs After Southampton Career

Tom Murray of Radio Solent has traced a surprising link between Southampton and the man who is called the father of Brazilian football. The story began when Murray stumbled across old match reports that named a Brazilian‑born player, César Lazzarini, who turned out for the south‑coast club in the early 1900s. He then followed Lazzarini’s trail back to Rio de Janeiro, where the former Southampton player founded several clubs and helped shape the country’s football culture.

In the early twentieth‑century, Britain was the main source of football knowledge in Brazil. British expatriates taught the game