View source for Neco

{{short description|Brazilian footballer and manager}}
{{About|the footballer|other people|Neco (name)|the acronym|NECO (disambiguation){{!}}NECO}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2011}}
{{Infobox football biography 
| name = Neco 
| image = Neco-Sel-Brasileira.jpg
| image_size = 221
| fullname = Manoel Nunes 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1895|3|7|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[São Paulo]], [[São Paulo State|SP]], [[Brazil]] 
| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|5|31|1895|3|7|mf=y}}
| death_place = São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| position = [[Attacking midfielder]], [[forward (association football)|Striker]]
| youthyears1 =   1911–1913
| youthclubs1 =   [[Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians]]
|  years1 =   1913–1930 
| years2 =  1915
|  clubs1 =    [[Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians]] 
| clubs2 =  [[A.A. Mackenzie College]]
| caps1 =     313  
| goals1 =  239 
| nationalyears1 =   1917–1922 
| nationalteam1 =   [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] 
| nationalcaps1 =     15  
| nationalgoals1 =   8 
|  manageryears1 =   1920 
| manageryears2 =  1927 
| manageryears3 =  1937–1938 
|  managerclubs1 =    [[Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians]] 
| managerclubs2 =  [[Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians]] 
| managerclubs3 =  [[Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians]]
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's [[association football|football]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|Brazil}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Copa América|South American Championship]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[1919 South American Championship|1919 Brazil]]|}}
{{Medal|W|[[1922 South American Championship|1922 Brazil]]|}}
{{Medal|Third|[[1917 South American Championship|1917 Uruguay]]|}}
}}

'''Manoel Nunes''' (March 7, 1895 – May 31, 1977), also known as '''Neco''', was an association football [[midfielder]] and [[Forward (association football)|striker]]. With great skill and tenacity, he was the first idol of [[Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians]], being the first player to get a statue in the team's gardens (in 1929). As of 2006, Neco is the player who played the longest for Corinthians: 17 years.

Called often to the [[Brazil national football team|Brazil national team]], he won two [[Copa América|South American Championships]]: [[South American Championship 1919|1919]] (team's top scorer) and [[South American Championship 1922|1922]] (top scorer). Playing for Corinthians, he won the [[Campeonato Paulista|Paulista League]] eight times as a player (being top scorer in 1914 and 1920) and once as a coach (1937).

Neco had a quick temper and frequently got involved in fights; his second stint as a manager occurred because he was suspended as a player for 18 games when he beat a referee.

He started in the third team of Corinthians at the age of 16 and joined the first team in 1913 (the first year Corinthians participated in official competitions). In 1915, Corinthians did not play official games because of political issues and almost went bankrupt; this year, Neco played friendlies for Corinthians and the official games for Mackenzie. During this time, he broke into the Corinthians building to retrieve books that the landlord had locked inside due to non-payment of the rent.

After scoring two goals playing for Brazil against Uruguay in the 2x2 tie valid for the 1919 South American Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Neco returned to his regular job as a carpenter in São Paulo and was fired for missing work.

==Statistical career overview==

===Player===
'''Teams:'''
* 1917–1922: [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] (14 matches / 9 goals / official internationals only)
* 1913–1914: [[SC Corinthians Paulista]]
* 1915: [[AA Mackenzie College]]
* 1916–1930: [[SC Corinthians Paulista]]

'''Honours:'''
* [[Copa América]]: [[South American Championship 1919|1919]], [[South American Championship 1922|1922]]
* [[Campeonato Paulista]]: 1914, 1916, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1930

'''Top Scorer:'''
* [[Copa América]]: [[South American Championship 1919|1919]] (4 goals)
* [[Campeonato Paulista]]: 1914 (12 goals)
* [[Campeonato Paulista]]: 1920 (24 goals)

===Coach===
'''Clubs:'''
* [[SC Corinthians Paulista]] : 1920, 1927, 1937–38
'''Honours:'''
* [[Campeonato Paulista]]: 1937

<!--  Commented out because image was deleted: [[File:Corinthians1928.jpg|thumb|left|Neco with Corinthians in 1928 (sixth from left)]] -->

==External links==
*[http://www.cbf.com.br/ca2/445j.html Profile at cbf.com.br]

{{Navboxes
|title = Brazil squads
|bg = #FBEC5D 
|fg = #008000
|list1 =
{{Brazil squad 1917 South American Championship}}
{{Brazil squad 1919 South American Championship}}
{{Brazil squad 1922 South American Championship}}
}}
{{Copa America top scorers}}
{{Campeonato Paulista top scorers}}
{{Campeonato Paulista winning managers}}
{{Sport Club Corinthians Paulista managers}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1895 births]]
[[Category:1977 deaths]]
[[Category:Footballers from São Paulo]]
[[Category:Brazilian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Brazil men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Sport Club Corinthians Paulista players]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Brazilian football managers]]
[[Category:Sport Club Corinthians Paulista managers]]
[[Category:Copa América–winning players]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:São Paulo state football team players]]
[[Category:20th-century Brazilian sportsmen]]