Diego was a diminutive Brazilian playmaker of considerable flair, a creative number ten who thrilled crowds at Werder Bremen, where his passing and dead-ball ability made him one of the Bundesliga’s standout talents. He had emerged at Santos and later played for Juventus, Wolfsburg and Fenerbahçe.
Nimble, inventive and blessed with vision, he was at his best pulling the strings behind the strikers, and remains fondly remembered in Bremen.