Friday, December 30, 2022 – 8:53 PM
From Ahmed Zahran.
ABU DHABI, 30th December, 2020 (WAM) — While Brazil declared official mourning for 3 days following the death of Brazilian football legend Pele, who passed away yesterday, Thursday, at the age of 82, expressions of condolences, sympathy and obituary poured out from all over the world following the global football family lost one of its members. The most prominent stars of the game throughout history.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whose term officially expires on Sunday, declared national mourning for a period of 3 days, according to a decree published in the Official Gazette on Thursday.
As Bolsonaro said in a tweet via “Twitter” following Pele’s death, “We mourn the loss of a man who spread the name of Brazil in the world through football. He turned football into art and joy.”
Legend Pele’s funeral will take place next Tuesday in his hometown of Santos, among his relatives, according to his former club, Santos. His coffin will leave, early Monday morning, the “Albert Einstein” hospital in Sao Paulo, where he died yesterday, to head to the coastal city, regarding 80 km away, where his body will be placed on the grounds of the “FC Santos” stadium in front of the public to offer their condolences, according to the statement. mentioned by the club.
The ceremony will continue for 24 hours until 10 a.m. Tuesday, and the funeral procession will pass through the streets of Santos and pass the home of Pele’s mother, Dona Celeste, who recently turned 100.
At the same time, the world, especially the global football family, began mourning the late star; Where the Swiss Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), mourned the legend Pele with moving words, stressing that he left a legacy that “words cannot express” and that he “has really reached eternity … and will remain with us forever.”
Prominent stars such as Lionel Messi, the Brazilian Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo offered their condolences for the death of the legend Pele, then Infantino offered his condolences with touching words published by FIFA.
Infantino said, “To all who love the beautiful game, it is the day we never wanted to come. The day we lose Pele. The king was unique in many things.”
He added, “He was the only player to win the World Cup 3 times, and he had unparalleled skill and imagination. Pele did things that no other player even dreamed of doing, such as the famous dribbling in the semi-finals of the 1970 World Cup that became known as / Pele Dribble /, Or the goal he scored as a 17-year-old in the 1958 World Cup final, when he threw the ball to pass a defender before it hit the net.
He said, “I had the honor of meeting him on several occasions, and in 2016 I was with him in my capacity as FIFA president at the first showing of his movie, which reminded me of sitting next to my father in 1981 when he took me to watch the movie ‘Escape to Victory’ where Pele acted alongside Sylvester Stallone and a number of other stars.”
“The moments I spent with him will forever remain in my memory and engraved in my heart. Pele had a charismatic presence, and time stood still with him… My deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, the Brazilian Football Confederation, Brazil and all the fans who loved him. We are in mourning for the loss of his presence.” “The materialist is our dear Pele. He really reached eternity a long time ago, and therefore, he will be with us forever.”
At the same time, the German Football Association described the late Pele as a “symbol for generations”, praising the former Brazilian star. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement today, Friday, that the news of Pele’s death overwhelmed the DFB with “tremendous sadness.”
He added, “Football has lost one of its most prominent symbols. Pele’s importance extends beyond the stadiums. He has been a symbol for generations.”
Hansi Flick, coach of the German national team, said: “There was no better player than Pele,” who won the World Cup in the years 1958, 1962 and 1970 .. For me, he was and still is the king of football … His performance was close to ideal, he was integrated, and he had no Weaknesses… Pele might do everything in the game.. He was not only a scorer, but his star also shone by seeing his teammates, making goals and assists that are worth watching like his goals.
Real Madrid, holders of the Spanish League and Champions League titles, offered condolences to Pele’s family and paid tribute to the legacy he left. The club said in a statement on its website: “Real Madrid C.F., its president and board of directors express their deep sorrow at the death of world football legend Pele, one of the best players of all time.”
He added, “Real Madrid conveys its deepest condolences to his family, his loved ones, the clubs in which he played, the Brazilian Football Confederation and all fans of the game in Brazil and the world… Pele’s legend will remain forever in the memory of all fans of this sport. His legacy makes him one of the greatest legends of world football.”
FC Barcelona also stated that Pele “made football greater than it has ever been”, and English club Liverpool described him as a football “icon”. Many other clubs and teams mourned the legend Pele, such as Benfica, the Portuguese, who published a picture of Pele, accompanied by the late Portuguese legend, Eusebio.
West Ham club published a picture of Pele with former England captain Bobby Moore following their famous competition in the 1970 World Cup, and Ajax highlighted Dutch legend Johan Cruyff alongside Pele. Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City clubs recalled Pele’s memories, as Arsenal mentioned Pele’s presence in a team match more than 4 decades ago.
Bayern Munich and AC Milan were also among the clubs that mourned Pele and offered condolences for his death. “Thank you for putting South America on top,” said CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation, in its obituary.
Former English football star David Beckham thanked legend Pele for his influence in football, and English star Harry Kane described him as a “real source of inspiration.”
“Thank you and goodbye. Rest in peace my friend,” Beckham said via Instagram.
“Pele was a true inspiration and one of the greatest people to ever play football. Rest in peace,” Keane said.
The FA also said of the game, “Anyone who loves football, loves Pele. His exceptional talent lit up the game and inspired the world… Our condolences to his family, the Brazilian Football Confederation and the Brazilian people.”
The German newspaper “Süddeutsche Zeitung” said, “Pele became the first legendary figure in sports,” while the French newspaper “L’Equipe” published a full-page picture of Pele, when he was young, and wrote on it, “He was a king.”
And NASA published a tweet, under a picture of the galaxy, and wrote, “We commemorate the passing of the legend Pele, known to many as the king of the ‘beautiful game.’ This image of a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Sculptor shows the colors of Brazil.”
And former United States President Barack Obama posted on Twitter a picture of him with Pele, commenting, “Pele was one of the greatest players to ever play the beautiful game. As one of the most famous athletes in the world, he understood the power of sport to bring people together.”
Abdel Nasser Moneim / Ahmed Zahran
