Three days after the death of the Brazilian Pelé, football legend, tributes and statements are numerous this weekend in the main national championships.
by MO12345lemonde with AFP ( with AFP)
While Brazil observes, Saturday, December 31, its third day of national mourning after the death of the legendary Pelé, the main European football championships pay tribute to it this weekend.
In France, a minute of applause is organized before the kicks off the meetings of the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 championships from Friday to Monday, at the request of the Professional Football League (LFP). A photo of Pelé with the World Cup trophy won by Brazil in 1970 will be broadcast on the giant screens of the stages, said the LFP.
In Marseille Thursday evening, before the match between OM and Toulouse (6-1), the 60,000 spectators of the Vélodrome stadium got up at the request of the stadium speaker and applauded for a good minute, while chanting the name of Pelé.
In Spain, a minute of silence is respected before each match of the fifteenth day of the championship, from Thursday to Saturday evening. Thursday evening, Atlético de Madrid and Elche were the first to respect this measure, and the players placed around the central round before the kick -off. Antoine Griezmann and his teammates competed in the meeting with a black armband around the arm. 2>
black armband and applause
In England, a minute of applause is scheduled before the matches of the eighteenth day of the Premier League. Players and referees will wear a black armband and a photo of Pelé will be broadcast on stages screens.
This is the black and white photo taken with the Santos club before the semi-final of the Paris tournament disputed against the Racing Club of France, at the Parc des Princes, on June 13, 1961, said the Premier League press service at AFP.
In Italy, a minute of silence will be observed in the stadiums on January 4, on the next day of Serie A, announced Friday the Italian football federation, the Figc.
Several European football personalities have mentioned the memory of Pelé. According to Arsenal manager, the Spaniard Mikel Arteta, Pelé “changed the dimension of world football because he could do everything”. For his Tottenham counterpart, the Italian Antonio Conte, “what he was doing with the ball in certain situations was incredible”. Denis Law, former goalscorer of Manchester United, believes that “Pelé was an incredible footballer, he had style, grace, flair and made everything easy. (…) More than anything, it was a good man, with a Big aura and a fantastic smile. “