The Cascavel Chamber awarded this Wednesday (20) the title of honorary citizen to Darci Casagrande and the title of Meritorious Citizen of Cascavel to her son and athlete, Carlos Eduardo Casagrande. The honors were proposed by the president of the Chamber, Alécio Espínola (Podemos) and councilor Pedro Sampaio (Podemos).
Present were Renato Silva, vice-mayor, councilors Sadi Kisiel, Cidão da Telepar, Santello, Josias de Souza and Police Madril, Edgar Bueno, former mayor of Cascavel and Ricardo Bueno, his son and journalists Edson Morais, Bolivar Cacau Negreiros and Jorge Guirado. The ceremony was attended by Sirlei Casagrande, Darci’s wife, children Luis Felipe Casagrande and Maria Eduarda, as well as several friends and colleagues.
Darci was born on July 9, 1944, in Erval Grande, district of Erechim/RS. Since arriving in Cascavel in 1970, Darci Casagrande has been a pillar in the community, dedicating her life to the Hotel Plaza Cascavel, a company that not only generated jobs and income, but also contributed significantly to the economic development of the region.
Pedro Sampaio recalled that “Casagrande’s enthusiasm and work were also essential at Cascavel Sporte Clube. Over more than two decades, Darci has dedicated his time, resources and passion to the club, playing essential roles as director, supervisor and football manager.” His involvement was decisive in 1980, when CEC won the only title of Paraná City Champion, in addition to five consecutive years as champion of the interior.
“Considering his exceptional contributions to the economic, social and sporting development of Cascavel, it is fair and necessary to publicly recognize Darci Casagrande as an honorary citizen of the municipality, the most important honor that the city can offer”, highlighted the proponents.
Tchê, as Darci is known, is the father of the Brazilian football champion for Santos Futebol Clube, Preto Casagrande, who in 2004 brought the cup to our city and was the second honoree of the day.
Carlos Eduardo Casagrande, popularly known as Preto Casagrande, had a multifaceted career on the Brazilian football scene, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he began his journey in Vasco’s youth categories. Throughout his career, he played for several clubs, leaving his mark and winning significant titles. It is worth highlighting his time at Esporte Clube Vitória, where he was a protagonist in the two-time northeastern championship and in the state titles of 1997 and 1999, as well as at Bahia, the club where he was two-time champion of the Copa do Nordeste and won the Bahian championship, receiving the Silver Ball in 2001. as the best midfielder in the Brazilian championship.
Preto Casagrande also had international experience, playing for Vitória de Guimarães in Portugal before returning to Brazil to represent Bahia again. His time at Santos, with winning the Brazilian title in 2004, and with Fluminense, in which he was champion of Rio, demonstrate his versatility and ability to stand out in different contexts and clubs.
After ending his playing career, Preto Casagrande began a transition to a coaching career. His time at Esporte Clube Bahia as a technical assistant and later as interim coach demonstrates his commitment and dedication to the club’s development.
Press Office/CMC