Eusébio's funeral cortege draws tens of thousands on to streets of Lisbon

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/06/eusebio-funeral-cortege-lisbon-football-benfica

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Tens of thousands of people have lined the streets of Lisbon to pay tribute to the Portuguese football star Eusébio after his coffin was put on public display and taken in a funeral cortege through the city.

People filed out of offices and cafes on a rainy Monday afternoon and applauded as the hearse, with a police motorcycle escort, passed. Traffic was halted on the capital's main roads, and the cortege stopped for a ceremony at the city hall.

Earlier in the day, dozens of dignitaries and hundreds of fans, some weeping, filed past the coffin at the Estádio da Luz, the stadium of Benfica, Eusébio's longtime club. Some 10,000 fans at the Stadium of Light cheered and sang when the coffin was placed in the centre of the pitch.

The government declared three days of national mourning after Eusébio's death on Sunday from heart failure. He was 71.

Eusébio was an international star and national hero whose heyday was in the 1960s with Benfica and the Portuguese national team. He became one of the world's top goalscorers and was widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. He was affectionately known as the Black Panther for his athletic physique and agility.

The funeral was attended by the prime minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, and many football players, including former world player of the year and retired Portugal captain Luis Figo, as well as Eusébio's surviving family.

Eusébio is to be buried in a cemetery near Benfica's stadium. Authorities said they would consider moving him later to Lisbon's National Pantheon, which contains the tombs of illustrious figures from Portuguese history.

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