edson arantres do nascimento, known as Pelé, will be buried Tuesday, January 3 in the city of southern Brazil which cries his “king”.
by Jean-Claude Gerez ((Santos , special envoy))
Stade d’Urbano Caldeira, in the Vila Belmiro district, in Santos, in southern Brazil. Thousands of people are expected on Monday January 2 in the stands to pay a last tribute to the “king”, the “athlete of the century” or even “genius”, as the Brazilians like to call Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, said Pelé, died Thursday at the age of 82, from colon cancer. For 24 hours, his coffin will stand in the center of the lawn, surrounded by his fans.
In the meantime, the surroundings of the stadium are rather deserted on this Eve of Christmas Eve. Television channel teams and onlookers tighten under the rare shelters to protect themselves from a rain which falls without discontinuously on the port city of 450,000 inhabitants, quoted without charm, even if it is among the stopovers of the liners cruise.
For common Brazilians, Santos is first of all FC Santos. The club which saw, in 1956, an artist of the round ball still frail in 1956, but who will quickly prove to be a genius attacker, author of nearly 1,300 goals during his career and unique
Winner to date of three World Cups.
“Santis” (supporter of FC Santos) since his youth, Marcelo Rocha lists the qualities that Pélé possessed. “He did not play with the ball, he caressed him, he smiles. His mastery was such that his opponents did not dare to attack him, for fear of being eliminated or ridiculed by a body feint or a hook.” At 42, Marcelo has never seen the “king” played other than through television extracts from matches. What does it matter. “He is the biggest footballer of all time. And if he had been a player today, he would have been the best of all.”
“A moment in our common history” The statue of Pelé rises in front of access door n ° 6 of the stadium where the number 10 of the club turned the head opposing defenses from 1956 to 1974. Nelson Almeida/AFP
grouped under the statue of Pelé which rises before the gateway n ° 6 of the stadium, other fans approve . Admiration gives way to recognition. “This man did more for Brazil than all the politicians gathered, says Marcos Rosa de Souza, retired from the frail body and with a hoarse voice. By bringing us trophies, he showed us that we were able to win, surpass us and even dominate the world. “
Clement or not, Marcelo, Marcos and the others will spend 24 hours “at the bedside” of their idol. Before, Tuesday morning, to participate in the procession that will cross part of the city and stop in front of the house where Dona Célesta, Pelénary’s mother, centenary.
Maria Da Souza, in his fifties, will not miss for anything in the world this “moment of history, of our common history”. Voter of Lula in a largely acquired city (56.20 % at the last presidential election) in Jair Bolsonar – President until the nomination of Lula on Sunday -, this teacher “appreciated” that the latter decreed a national mourning of three days . “Anyway, he had no choice, she breathes. Because Pelé, even if he was notoriously conservative, was a person who exceeded political cleavages in the eyes of many Brazilians.”
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