Brazilian legend Pele visited India for the first time in four decades, sending fans in football-mad Kolkata into celebratory mode. But the end result, as is the case with Ronaldo, is a lot of goals and assists.
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“It’s very hard to make a comparison of players of different generations”. Many players have skills, many have stamina. The Barcelona man has helped his team to more major honours down the years, and while that can be attributed to a tremendous supporting cast, with the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, Messi has made decisive impacts in the overwhelming majority of the Blaugrana’s big games.
“I asked him where he would place Messi in world football”.
Sourav said, “I hope the legend will see the match tomorrow and hopefully have so kind words to say about out players”.
“Every sport needs one”. “When I went to Holland, they said (Johan) Cruyff was the new Pele”.
“No, I don’t have any intention to be president of Federation Internationale de Football Association”, he said. “My father was a football player and I played in the hinterland as a boy, in school and on the streets with other kids. Footballers are born. God gave me the gift to play football”. In a star-studded “Legends Night”, it was Pele who shone the brightest as he regaled thousands including celebrities with his wit and charm.
“I watched the movie not knowing who Pele was”.
Post the World Cup where they were thrashed 1-7 by Germany, the once heavyweights Brazil may not be the same force to reckon with and Pele blamed it on the team atmosphere.
“Messi and Ronaldo played in different styles and now Neymar can emerge as best in the world”, the three-time World Cup victor told an interactive session at a private college in the city. Nobody plays alone, you need to have a few good players in your side. “Now a days players managers decide for them if they would be playing for the country or the club”, he said.
Prasun Bandyopadhyay, an Arjuna-awardee, a former player and a current MP, wanted to know, ‘Who is better?
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Pele also named former England footballer Bobby Moore as the best he has ever seen. Now, even before entering the stadium, I can understand how much people like football. “To me Messi is the very best”, he said. I was only ten years then.
