Silver Age - Defensive Midfielders

Coluna - Mario, the Sacred Monster passed away about a month after Eusebio, who, even at the height of fame, never stopped calling him “Mr. Coluna”.
Initially he was a centerforward, then as an attacking inside-left. But soon he dropped deep into midfield where he influenced every aspect of the game and eventually was described as "The Portuguese Didi", after the famous Brazilian playmaker.
After his playing career he returned back to Mozambique (where he was born) after independence, where he was a member of parliament and president of the Mozambican Football Federation, having been awarded the Necklace of Honour for Sports Merit by the Portuguese Government and was part of the Portuguese Football Federation's team of the century.

 

Voronin - He became the main discovery of the World Cup in Chile. The 23-year-old midfielder was included in the symbolic world team, half of which consisted of Brazilian stars. The footballer was well versed in literature and music, and studied foreign languages. Fans admired the taste and appearance of the charming player, calling him the Alain Delon of the sports world due to some resemblance to the famous actor.
The peak of Voronin's career was the 1966 World Cup in England. Queen Elizabeth publicly called him "the most elegant player on the field" and gave him a tea set.
Standing out from his compatriots, Voronin began to dream of European championships and introduced himself as: "Midfielder Valery Voronin, Real Madrid..."
Voronin began to sink into depression, feeling a sense of hopelessness. "He is one of those athletes who cannot find a place for themselves in Soviet sports," wrote the German magazine Kicker about the player.
In 1968 Voronin was driving back to Moscow, fell asleep at the wheel, drove into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a truck crane. The 29-year-old footballer experienced clinical death three times, his face was covered in scars, and his injuries prevented him from playing football at his previous level.
15 years after retiring from football, Voronin's body was found on the side of the Varshavskoye Highway with a fractured skull. The killer was never found. The case was closed due to lack of evidence. The main sex symbol of Soviet sports died in poverty and loneliness. Not a single sports newspaper reported on the footballer's death.