1. Special Feature C7C6 special feature
Dubai
A
s Brazil prepares to
host the Fifa World
Cup this summer for
the first time since
1950, the football-
crazy country’s most revered
figure, Pele, has been thrust
to the forefront of sports fans’
consciousness once again.
One of the greatest football-
ers of all time achieved global
glory an unrivalled three times
with Brazil — in 1958, 1962 and
1970 — and won universal ado-
ration for his sublime skills and
athleticism, unstinting sports-
manship and a seemingly per-
petual gleaming smile.
Tomorrow, Pele will share
some of these memorable mo-
ments during a film screening
at the Dubai headquarters of
Emirates airline, for which he
became a global ambassador in
January.
The man born Edson Arantes
do Nascimento will be joined
by members of his former club,
the New York Cosmos, of which
he is honorary president.
Specially invited guests will
be treated to footage of Pele’s
prodigious brilliance at the age
of 17 at the 1958 World Cup in
Sweden, where he scored six
goals, including two in Brazil’s
5-2 win over the hosts in the
final.
They will also enjoy witness-
ing his dazzling displays in the
brilliant Mexican sunshine of
1970, when his towering header
embellished a 4-1 destruction
of Italy in the final.
A devoted servant to his be-
loved Brazilian club side Santos
for 18 years between 1956 to
1974, Pele ended his career by
bringing lustre to the nascent
North American Soccer League
(NASL).
He and fellow footballing lu-
minaries such as Brazil’s 1970
World Cup-winning captain
Carlos Alberto and German leg-
end Franz Beckenbauer helped
the New York Cosmos achieve
worldwide renown in the mid-
to-late 1970s.
Fast forward to 2014, and
it’s a case of long live the King
of Football as the 73-year-old
belies his years by being part
of a host of projects bearing his
name.
Last October, he launched
a limited-edition book docu-
menting seminal stories and
photos from his illustrious ca-
reer (only 1,283 copies have
been published, the same
amount as the number of goals
he scored).
What’s more, a biographical
film about his early life will be
released later this year, while
a new Pele museum will open
in his homeland in time for the
2014 World Cup.
In an exclusive email inter-
view with Gulf News, Pele re-
flected on his glorious career
and current and future activi-
ties.
■■ GULF NEWS: Firstly, can
you tell people what you do
these days, summarising
your roles, work for charity
etc? What do you feel have
been your main achieve-
ments in your life after foot-
ball? Also, what do you like
to do in your spare time?
PELE:Ihavebeeninvolvedfor
many years with the Pequeno
Principe (Little Prince) Hospi-
tal, the largest paediatric hos-
pital in Brazil. In 2005, they
created the Pele Research In-
stitute in my name, to help pro-
gress the field of medicine for
Brazil’s youth and cure com-
plex diseases. Most of the time I
am travelling to promote soccer
and working with my sponsors
all around the world. This year,
I am excited for the World Cup,
of course, but also for the open-
ing of the Pele museum and the
release of the Pele movie. In my
spare time, I love being with my
family — spending time at our
beach house, or fishing on my
farm.
■■ What is your favourite photo
or photos in your new book
and why?
My favourite photo in the
book is The Heart of the King
image by Luiz Paulo Machado.
He managed to capture the ex-
act moment when the sweat on
my shirt shaped a heart on my
chest — perfectly depicting my
love for the Beautiful Game. The
photo was taken in 1971 during
a friendly match between Brazil
and Yugoslavia in Rio de Janei-
ro; it was my last appearance
on the field with the Selecao.
■■ You got emotional when
you unveiled the book in
October. What particularly
moved you about it?
All those beautiful images
in the Toriba collector’s book
1283 made me think of the peo-
ple that loved and supported
me throughout my career: my
family, friends, teammates and
the fans.
■■ What’s your earliest foot-
balling memory?
My earliest footballing mem-
ory was running around the
streets of Bauru with a group
of my friends. We couldn’t stop
thinking about football and
would play from day to night.
At the time, we were very poor
and could not afford a ball. So
we used anything we could to
kick around — such as a stuffed
sock, a grapefruit, anything to
play the game.
■■ You achieved so much in
your career — what is your
greatest memory or achieve-
ment?
I am very thankful to soccer.
It gave a poor kid from Brazil
a purpose in life and took him
around the globe. I believe that
the Beautiful Game helps bring
people together and makes
them more sensitive to the
world around them.
■■ You made your World Cup
debut at the age of 17 in 1958.
How did you cope with the
pressure? What is your fa-
vourite memory of that
tournament?
In 1958, I was lucky to be sur-
rounded with players such as
Mario Zagallo, Gylmar dos San-
tos Neves and Djalma Santos. I
was the youngest player in the
national team and they guided
me. Winning and scoring in the
final was my favourite memory
of that tournament.
■■ What was the greatest goal
you scored and why?
The most important goal I
scored was my first goal in the
1958 World Cup against Wales
in the quarter-finals. I became
the youngest World Cup goal
scorer of all time at the age of
17. Also, my 1,000th goal [for
Santos against Vasco da Gama
in November 1969] was amaz-
ing even though it was a penalty
kick. When I saw the reaction of
the crowd, I cried and dedicated
it to all the kids on the streets of
Brazil and for their education.
■■ Who was/were your hardest
opponent(s) and why?
[Former England captain]
Bobby Moore was the best
defender I have ever played
against. After our 1-0 victory
over England in the 1970 World
Cup, I approached Moore to
exchange jerseys and show mu-
tual respect. I had admiration
for him because he made it dif-
Gulf News | Saturday, March 15, 2014 | gulfnews.com HHHH gulfnews.com | Saturday, March 15, 2014 | Gulf News
I am very
thankful
to soccer’’
football legend pele muses
on his glorious career
and future goals ahead of
dubai visit tomorrow
By Euan Reedie
Deputy Sports Editor
ficult for Brazil to beat England
that day.
■■ Who was the greatest player
you played with?
[Former Brazil winger] Gar-
rincha was one of the greatest
players I played with. We never
lost a game with the Brazil na-
tional team when we played to-
gether.
■■ Can you tell me how you got
the name Pele?
The goalie of my father’s team
was a guy nicknamed ‘Bile’.
So when I played in goal in the
streets with other kids, they
would say: ‘He think he’s Bile’.
Since we were very young, the
name got twisted into ‘Pele’. I
did not like that name at all, but
it followed me around and I be-
gan to accept it. Now, that name
is known all over the world.
■■ I read you wanted to be a pi-
lot when you were younger. Is
this true?
Growing up in Bauru, I had
dreamed of being a pilot.
I spent long afternoons watch-
ing planes. However, it was a
very risky profession at that time
and God gave me the gift to score
with my feet.
■■ Who do you think are the fa-
vourites for this year’s World
Cup and why? Can you tell
me your favourite World Cup
memory and your earliest
recollection of the tourna-
ment?
Of course, I will be cheering
for Brazil. We have to keep the
good work that made us win last
year’s Confederations Cup. Go-
ing to Sweden in 1958 and win-
ning the very first Jules Rimet
trophy for Brazil [after 5-2 win
over Sweden in the final] was my
favourite World Cup memory. I
first got exposed to this compe-
tition in 1950, when Brazil lost
the final in Maracana against
Uruguay. It was a national trag-
edy; I saw my dad cry that day —
and promised him I would win a
World Cup for him one day.
■■ Can Neymar be the new Pele
and which other players do
you like in the current Brazil
side? Is there a new star in
Brazil we should look out for
in the future?
Neymar is my favourite [play-
er] at the moment. I hope that
his move to Barcelona will make
him a more complete player so
that he could help Brazil for this
year’s World Cup.
■■ Who is better in your opin-
ion: Cristiano Ronaldo or Li-
onel Messi? Do you think they
need to win the World Cup to
be considered as good as you?
Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
are both great players with in-
credible careers.
Winning a World Cup is very
important in a player’s life, and
I wish them both the best in the
future with their national teams.
■■ Which team(s)/leagues do
you enjoy watching these
days and why?
I am still the biggest fan of my
beloved team Santos FC.
■■ You must be delighted about
the return of the New York
Cosmos, whom you played
for in the mid-to-late 1970s.
What made your time with
them so special and what is
your outstanding memory of
that time? Can the Cosmos
repeat what they did in the
1970s?
Going to play for the New York
Cosmos was an amazing expe-
rience for me at that time. We
managed to make soccer very
popular all over the USA. Any-
where I travel in the world to-
day, people still ask me about
the New York Cosmos. I am very
proud that they recently won
the 2013 North American Soccer
League (NASL) Soccer Bowl for
their first season back in the
league.
■■ You recently became an am-
bassador for Emirates airline.
Are you interested in coming
to the UAE in the future to help
the game grow in some way?
I am always willing to travel
to help the Beautiful Game grow
anywhere in the world. I believe
that soccer is the universal lan-
guage that brings people togeth-
er. I believe that I will be back in
Dubai very soon after this trip.
■■ You played guitar at an event
in London last year. How
long have you been playing,
how did you learn, are you
any good and what are your
favourite songs to play?
When I was a professional
footballer at Santos, there was a
lot of time hanging around team
hotels. My way of passing the
time was writing songs and play-
ing my guitar. Music for me is all
fun, it is a passion.
■■ How do you continue to look
so good and young at the age of
73? What’s your secret?
Thank you! When I was a kid,
my coach Waldemar de Brito —
who first brought me to Santos FC
— told me not to drink or smoke
because a professional athlete
had to be in top physical form. I
believe that I kept applying his
advice even after my retirement
from soccer. I also keep a very
healthy diet and continue to exer-
cise on a regular basis.
■■ Do you have any regrets? Do
you wish you had played in Eu-
rope, for instance?
I have no regrets. I travelled the
world with Santos FC and the New
York Cosmos, and played against
great teams in the most beautiful
stadiums — winning many cham-
pionships along the way.
■■ How do you want to be re-
membered and what are your
goals for the rest of your life?
My goal is to leave a mark for
future generations. That is why
I want to keep helping less for-
tunate children through health,
education and sport.
■■ Finally, can you tell our read-
ers something about you that
they may not know?
I am very excited about the
release of my biopic in 2014.
This movie is not about Pele
who scored a lot of goals. It is a
story about my childhood lead-
ing up to my first World Cup,
full of struggles, lessons and
victories that can help inspire
our youth.
Dubai
A
limited-edition collector’s
book paying tribute to the
stellar career of Pele has
been described as “one of the
most important projects” in the
Brazilian football icon’s life.
Brazilian luxury book pub-
lishers Toriba Editora launched
1,283, so called after the number
of goals Pele scored, last October.
The book costs £1,064
(Dh6,505), weighs 15 kilograms
and contains 500 pages and ac-
companying pages – but only
1,283 copies have been printed
and more than half of these
have already been sold in other
launches in Brazil and London.
The man behind the ambi-
tious project, Pedro Sirotsky, told
Gulf News that Pele had whole-
heartedly embraced the project
and been heavily involved in its
creation.
Sirotsky, who is currently in
Dubai to promote the book, said:
“Pele was fundamental in work-
ing on the book for the last 18
months. I spent many afternoons
with him in his apartment in
Sao Paulo speaking about sto-
ries and showing him photos. He
was absolutely committed to the
project. He said it was the most
important project in terms of a
book in his life.
“He’s also signed each book
one by one — there’s no printed
signature. When he first saw the
book, he said: ‘I’ve never had in
my life a project like that.’ He
was emotionally happy and cried
many times observing pictures
and pages in the book.”
The book comprises 1,283
‘mini’ texts featuring stories and
facts from Pele’s life — many of
which even devoted fans of the
Brazilian may be unaware of.
Sirotsky, who said Dubai had
been chosen as a launch venue
for the book along with Brazil,
New York, London and China
due to the popularity of football
in the UAE, said that one par-
ticular memorable anecdote had
been revealed by Pele himself.
“He and the Brazilian football
team were playing the World Cup
in 1966 in England and The Bea-
tles’ manager called him,” Sirot-
sky said.
“They wanted to play a pri-
vate concert for the team, but
the chiefs of the team did not
allow that. They said something
like: ‘We don’t want those long-
haired guys disturbing our con-
centration’. I don’t think anyone
knew that story before.”
Another highlight of the
hefty tome, Sirotsky added, is a
photograph entitled ‘The Heart
of the King’.
The photo shows Pele with a
heart-shaped patch of sweat on
his Brazil shirt during a game
against Yugoslavia in 1971.
So what is Pele like in person?
As incredibly humble and
unaffected by his fame as he ap-
pears on television, Sirotsky says.
He said: “He still sees himself as
Edson Arantes do Nascimento,
an ordinary citizen. He still says
thanks to God that he has been
chosenasoneofthemostimpor-
tant personalities in the world.
He’s a very simple guy and
doesn’t behave like a celebrity.”
He went on: “I flew with him
from Sao Paulo to New York and,
when we arrived at immigra-
tion, there was a huge commo-
tion with loads of people waiting
to embrace him. He was very
emotional. After all these years,
he could be tired by all this, but
he responds positively to anyone
who wants to take a picture with
him.”
For more information on the book,visit
www.1283pele.com.br.
A seminal tribute to a goal machine
Limited-edition book
1,283 ‘one of the most
important projects’ in
Pele’s life
By Euan Reedie
Deputy Sports Editor
Pele feels ‘so blessed’ about Pele
DubaI
P
ele says he feels “blessed”
about a new film due to be
released this year, which
charts his meteoric rise to be-
come a World Cup hero at the
age of 17.
Pele, the release date of which
has yet to be announced, was
filmed over eight weeks at the
end of last year.
It features Leonardo Lima
Carvalho playing the 10 to
13-year-old Pele, who was then
known as ‘Dico’, and his fellow
Brazilian actor Kevin de Paula
portraying the legend in his late
teens when he rose to footballing
prominence.
The latter part of the film cov-
ers the period when he became
the youngest player to play in a
World Cup match at the age of
17 years and 249 days. He scored
two goals in the 1958 World Cup
final as Brazil beat hosts Sweden
5-2, following which he wept
uncontrollably in his teammates’
arms. Pele visited the Brazil-
based film set last year and said:
“Coming by the set made me feel
so blessed to be a part of such a
talented family who are all com-
ing together to tell the story of
my life. The two young actors
who will play my younger self
will be true stars, as their skills
both on screen and on the foot-
ball pitch proved.”
Pele is produced by Imagine
Entertainment and Seine Pic-
tures in conjunction with the
great man himself. Promotional
material about the film says:
“The directors, Jeff and Michael
Zimbalist, are committed to
making a film that celebrates a
living icon. From a life full of dis-
advantages and an impoverished
youth in Brazil, Pele used his
unorthodox yet authentic style
of play and his unbeatable spirit
to overcome all odds, find great-
ness and inspire a country that
he changed forever.”
Biopic due to be
released this year
depicts how a
precocious teenager
became a global star
overcoming all odds
By Euan Reedie
Deputy Sports Editor
H Pelewas named afterAmeri-
can inventorThomas Edison,his
real name being EdsonArantes
do Nascimento.Born on October
23,1940,hewas the first ofthree
children his parents had.
H Hewas signed bySantos
when hewas 15.He scored four
goals on his league debut in a 7-1
win against FC Corinthians on
September7,1956.
H He once incrediblyscored
eight goals in a match in
November1964,when Santos
thrashed Botafogo 11-0.
H On November19,1969,Pele
scored his 1,000th careergoal
via a penaltyforSantos against
Vasco da Gama.The game had to
be stopped for30 minutes after
hundreds offans rushed onto the
pitch to mob the Brazilian.
H In 1967,a two-dayceasefire
was declared in Nigeria so that
Federal and Rebel troops could
watch Pele playon avisit to the
war-torn country.
H Pele’s headeragainst Italyin
the 1970World Cup finalwas their
100thWorld Cup goal.Brazilwon
the match 4-1.
H Ofhis 1,283 goals in 1,366
games,93 ofthem came in 97 caps
forBrazil.
H He scored three ormore times
in 129 games,including five goals
in a match on sixoccasions.
H Pele played his last profes-
sional game on October1,1977,
when Santos played NewYork
Cosmos at the Giants Stadium.He
played the first halfofthe game
fortheAmerican club,and the
second 45 minutes forSantos.
H In 1992,Pelewas appointed
a United Nations ambassadorfor
ecologyand the environment.
H He received an honorary
British knighthood in 1997.
KEY MOMENTS FROM A LEGENDARY LIFE
Rex Features
No slowing down
■■ Top: Pele being unveiled as global
ambassador for Emirates airline.
Above: The striker wheels away
after scoring in Brazil’s 4-1 win over
Italy in the 1970 World Cup final.
Right: He ended his career at the
New York Cosmos from 1975-77.
Courtesy: Toriba Editora
As real as it gets
■■ 1,283 reveals facts even Pele’s devoted fans wouldn’t know.
Courtesy: Ique Esteves
In a legend’s shoes
■■ Leonardo Lima Carvalho as young Dico (as Pele was known
in his childhood) shows skill with stuffed socks.
Exclusive
Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
Rex Features