Bahia dreamed of signing Mané Garrincha after the 1962 World Cup. The club sent a proposal to Botafogo to loan the player for 90 days. The proposal was sent directly to the club's board, which would analyze the conditions before presenting a response. However, the negotiation did not advance. Garrincha remained at Botafogo and never wore the Bahia jersey officially. The Tricolor de Aço was consolidating itself as one of the top teams in Brazilian football at the time. It was in this context of national prominence that the attempt to bring the star to Salvador emerged. In addition to the 1959 Taça Brasil win, the Esquadrão had won the pentacampeonato baiano between 1958 and 1962. In 1963, it was competing in the Taça Brasil semifinals and eliminated Botafogo, the club defended by Garrincha, to advance to the tournament final. In the final, it faced Santos, this time with a favorable outcome for the team of "King Pelé". Although the interest never turned into a concrete negotiation, the possibility remained marked in history. Bahia was "close" to signing one of the biggest names in world football: Manoel Francisco dos Santos, the eternal Mané Garrincha, the "Angel of the Twisted Legs". Everything about E.C.Bahia first-hand!