Pele was 70 this week. He was the greatest footballer ever. You cannot be the greatest footballer ever if you could never head the ball and score with your right foot. Basics !! This puts him behind Zidane and Cruyff who like Pele could do everything.
Pele was 70 this week. He was the greatest footballer ever. You cannot be the greatest footballer ever if you could never head the ball and score with your right foot. Basics !! This puts him behind Zidane and Cruyff who like Pele could do everything.
Oi, dont knock left footers sunshine!!! Seriously though,I'm with you on this one el capitan. Top top player withoubt a doubt, but the others weren't cu@nts like Diego. Can't deny his impact on Napoli though. It's similar to going to Sunderland and winning them the league.
My ten cents makes the voting 3-1 in favour of Pele. I guess Collar's Up will point to the fact Pele never played in Europe but he did it at the World Cup WITHOUT drugs and without cheating... My vote goes to the man also known as Edson Arantes Do Nascimento.
By the way - I remember Ossie's testimonial. In the days before squad numbers apparently his biggest concern was who would get the number 10 shirt - Hoddle v Maradona. As it happens, Hoddle got there too late...
Oh, and as a side note we played Inter Milan and beat them 2-1. COYS!
Whenever I hear someone who is under the age of 50 talk aout Pele it makes me chuckle. have you ever actaully watched complete matches involving Pele? Of course he was a brilliant footballer but he too was flawed. He was not perfect and were he not part of those great Brazil teams, they would still have lifted the World Cup. Pele never left Brazil and played all his club career for Santos - very Matthew Le Tissier like. He never tested himself against his BEST contemporaries at club level week in week out. This is one major reason why Maradona has better claims to be the greatest.
Whenever I hear someone who is under the age of 50 talk about Pele it makes me chuckle. Have you ever actually watched complete matches involving Pele? I have, and several of them. Of course he was a brilliant footballer but he too was flawed. He was not perfect and were he not part of those great Brazil teams, they would still have lifted the World Cup. This is the first reason why Diego was the best – he is the only player to singlehandedly drag a team to TWO World Cup finals when frankly they were average at best. That he lifted one due to his brilliance istestemant to the impact he as an individual had on a team game. Take Pele out of the 1970 Brazil team and you Carlos Albeerto, Gerson, Rivelino, Jairzinho etc. Argentina in 1986 had Maradona and…………well that’s it. For me the single most important reason why Maradon > Pele is Mr De Nacsimento never left Brazil and played all his club career for Santos - very Matthew Le Tissier. He never tested himself against his BEST contemporaries at club level week in week out. This is one major reason why Maradona has better claims to be the greatest. Maradona had to endure the likes of Gentile and Goikoetxea the butcher of Bilbao!) smashing his ankles every week, every game for over a decade. And he still got up, scored the goals and delivered. Pele had no such obstacles on his way to scoring over 1000 in a league that is very reminiscent of today’s Championship! That Maradona’s Napoli broke the dominance of Northern Italy’s giants also speaks volumes for the impact he had as a player. His influence in a team game is greater than any other payer before or since. That is why he is the greatest. Could he head the ball? No. Did he have a right foot? No This makes it even more remarkable what he did. Pele is generally held up as being the best player ever by virtue of his association with the 1970 team. This is in contrast to Maradona’s where it is his individual contribution., be it at Napoli, Barcelona or Argentina. In Brazil, there are respected football connoisseurs who believe that Pele wasn’t even the best ever Brazilian footballer. There are many who advocate Garrincha Maradona scored the best goal ever in 1986 – in my opinion of course. A couple of facts to digest and to put into context the era Maradona had to play in. Maradona holds the record for suffering the most number of fouls in a World Cup – 53, during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He also holds the record for the most number of fouls suffered in one game in a World Cup, when Italy fouled him 23 times in the 1982 edition of the tournament. As for Cruyff I can’t pass judgement having never seen enough of him. Although Zidane should be talked about in the same breath as the very best……………and while we are talking about the very best we should also include the Belfast boy George Best. Having seen plenty of matches and footage of the fifth Beatle, he seemed to have more individual and raw skill than Pele – something my dad agrees and he saw both play! Ask the older generation, my dad included whose opinion I respect but also esteemed football commentators such as Hugh McIllvaney and they will throw the name of Alfredo Di Stefano into the mix. Football is about opinions of course and this debate can never be settled. There are those who worship at the Church of Maradona and those who worship in the Church of Pele, (blasphemey!!!) My final point - Maradona is the master of the modern game. The football era Maradona played in was faster, harder, more defensive and more tactical. Pele’s era was very simplistic football. That game Pele dominated has gone along with all the amateur and exhibition matches he played in and scored in that are used in totting up his 1000+ goals!
Another point - the drugs Maradona used were actually a hindrance to his performance. They were not performance enhancing as cocoaine did not allow him to train with teh same intensity as his team mates. Moreover, the lethargy from the 'come-down' meant he was not always at his best.
SO when talking about Maradona's drug addiction, the point should be made - imagine what a player he would have been had he been clean!!!!!
Diego Maradona played in a corrupt league. The mafia were all over half of Napoli's victories. All this bollox about Pele proving himself in Europe, Pele proved himself at 17 against the best in the world. Its insulting to say that the most successful footballing nation in the world has a sh*t league. In fact there league was probably better because the majority of players were not playing in Europe like these days. When United fans were wanking over Whiteside being the youngest player at a World Cup Finals, Pele was winning the thing and scoring in the final. We were all still at school and he's reached the footballing peak already!! If you saw the hacking Pele received in 1966 you wouldn't mention Gentile. Maradona was an amazing footballer, but have you seen some of the dribbles that Pele did. When you beat the likes of Terry Fenwick, with Peter Reid blowing out of his arse behind you, its not worth you talking about the modern game. Fenwich was one of the shittest players ever at Spurs, and I've seen some shit. As you say Mike its all about opinions.
Sid's absolutely right - I back him 100%. Terry Fenwick was sh*te. The biggest cheer I remember him getting was when he broke his leg in the warm up to a game against Man Utd at Old Trafford (Mike, we beat you 3-0 Lineker, Samways and Nayim).
Some facts to consider. In my eye, the greatest, particularly for the headbutt..
* Scored his first goal professionally in 1991 (the president of the Cannes football club gifted him with a car).
*In his first international game (against the Czech Republic) in 1994, he scored two goals in 17 minutes
*Won Golden Ball — European for leading France to victory in 1998 World Cup
*Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006
*Became football's most expensive player in 2001, when Real Madrid acquired him for £46 million (roughly $66 million)
*Won the 2002 UEFA Champions League and a La Liga title with Real Madrid, and two Serie A league championships with Juventus. Zidane and Ronaldo are the only three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winners; Zidane also won the Ballon d'Or in 1998.
*Christian Dior's first male model
*Captained the French team in World Cup 2006 games; they lost to Italy but still won 2006 FIFA Golden Ball
*Is featured as a LEGO minifigure, included in some of the football playsets
12 comments:
Pele was 70 this week. He was the greatest footballer ever. You cannot be the greatest footballer ever if you could never head the ball and score with your right foot. Basics !! This puts him behind Zidane and Cruyff who like Pele could do everything.
Pele was 70 this week. He was the greatest footballer ever. You cannot be the greatest footballer ever if you could never head the ball and score with your right foot. Basics !! This puts him behind Zidane and Cruyff who like Pele could do everything.
Oi, dont knock left footers sunshine!!! Seriously though,I'm with you on this one el capitan. Top top player withoubt a doubt, but the others weren't cu@nts like Diego. Can't deny his impact on Napoli though. It's similar to going to Sunderland and winning them the league.
My ten cents makes the voting 3-1 in favour of Pele. I guess Collar's Up will point to the fact Pele never played in Europe but he did it at the World Cup WITHOUT drugs and without cheating... My vote goes to the man also known as Edson Arantes Do Nascimento.
Now if Zidane was in the mix....
By the way - I remember Ossie's testimonial. In the days before squad numbers apparently his biggest concern was who would get the number 10 shirt - Hoddle v Maradona. As it happens, Hoddle got there too late...
Oh, and as a side note we played Inter Milan and beat them 2-1. COYS!
Whenever I hear someone who is under the age of 50 talk aout Pele it makes me chuckle. have you ever actaully watched complete matches involving Pele?
Of course he was a brilliant footballer but he too was flawed. He was not perfect and were he not part of those great Brazil teams, they would still have lifted the World Cup.
Pele never left Brazil and played all his club career for Santos - very Matthew Le Tissier like. He never tested himself against his BEST contemporaries at club level week in week out. This is one major reason why Maradona has better claims to be the greatest.
Whenever I hear someone who is under the age of 50 talk about Pele it makes me chuckle. Have you ever actually watched complete matches involving Pele? I have, and several of them.
Of course he was a brilliant footballer but he too was flawed. He was not perfect and were he not part of those great Brazil teams, they would still have lifted the World Cup. This is the first reason why Diego was the best – he is the only player to singlehandedly drag a team to TWO World Cup finals when frankly they were average at best. That he lifted one due to his brilliance istestemant to the impact he as an individual had on a team game.
Take Pele out of the 1970 Brazil team and you Carlos Albeerto, Gerson, Rivelino, Jairzinho etc. Argentina in 1986 had Maradona and…………well that’s it.
For me the single most important reason why Maradon > Pele is Mr De Nacsimento never left Brazil and played all his club career for Santos - very Matthew Le Tissier. He never tested himself against his BEST contemporaries at club level week in week out. This is one major reason why Maradona has better claims to be the greatest. Maradona had to endure the likes of Gentile and Goikoetxea the butcher of Bilbao!) smashing his ankles every week, every game for over a decade. And he still got up, scored the goals and delivered.
Pele had no such obstacles on his way to scoring over 1000 in a league that is very reminiscent of today’s Championship!
That Maradona’s Napoli broke the dominance of Northern Italy’s giants also speaks volumes for the impact he had as a player. His influence in a team game is greater than any other payer before or since. That is why he is the greatest.
Could he head the ball? No. Did he have a right foot? No This makes it even more remarkable what he did.
Pele is generally held up as being the best player ever by virtue of his association with the 1970 team. This is in contrast to Maradona’s where it is his individual contribution., be it at Napoli, Barcelona or Argentina.
In Brazil, there are respected football connoisseurs who believe that Pele wasn’t even the best ever Brazilian footballer. There are many who advocate Garrincha
Maradona scored the best goal ever in 1986 – in my opinion of course.
A couple of facts to digest and to put into context the era Maradona had to play in.
Maradona holds the record for suffering the most number of fouls in a World Cup – 53, during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
He also holds the record for the most number of fouls suffered in one game in a World Cup, when Italy fouled him 23 times in the 1982 edition of the tournament.
As for Cruyff I can’t pass judgement having never seen enough of him. Although Zidane should be talked about in the same breath as the very best……………and while we are talking about the very best we should also include the Belfast boy George Best. Having seen plenty of matches and footage of the fifth Beatle, he seemed to have more individual and raw skill than Pele – something my dad agrees and he saw both play!
Ask the older generation, my dad included whose opinion I respect but also esteemed football commentators such as Hugh McIllvaney and they will throw the name of Alfredo Di Stefano into the mix.
Football is about opinions of course and this debate can never be settled. There are those who worship at the Church of Maradona and those who worship in the Church of Pele, (blasphemey!!!)
My final point - Maradona is the master of the modern game. The football era Maradona played in was faster, harder, more defensive and more tactical. Pele’s era was very simplistic football. That game Pele dominated has gone along with all the amateur and exhibition matches he played in and scored in that are used in totting up his 1000+ goals!
Another point - the drugs Maradona used were actually a hindrance to his performance. They were not performance enhancing as cocoaine did not allow him to train with teh same intensity as his team mates. Moreover, the lethargy from the 'come-down' meant he was not always at his best.
SO when talking about Maradona's drug addiction, the point should be made - imagine what a player he would have been had he been clean!!!!!
Oh and today Nolan is up there with the greatest - great hat trick you scouse cunt!
Diego Maradona played in a corrupt league. The mafia were all over half of Napoli's victories. All this bollox about Pele proving himself in Europe, Pele proved himself at 17 against the best in the world. Its insulting to say that the most successful footballing nation in the world has a sh*t league. In fact there league was probably better because the majority of players were not playing in Europe like these days. When United fans were wanking over Whiteside being the youngest player at a World Cup Finals, Pele was winning the thing and scoring in the final. We were all still at school and he's reached the footballing peak already!! If you saw the hacking Pele received in 1966 you wouldn't mention Gentile. Maradona was an amazing footballer, but have you seen some of the dribbles that Pele did. When you beat the likes of Terry Fenwick, with Peter Reid blowing out of his arse behind you, its not worth you talking about the modern game. Fenwich was one of the shittest players ever at Spurs, and I've seen some shit. As you say Mike its all about opinions.
Sid's absolutely right - I back him 100%. Terry Fenwick was sh*te. The biggest cheer I remember him getting was when he broke his leg in the warm up to a game against Man Utd at Old Trafford (Mike, we beat you 3-0 Lineker, Samways and Nayim).
Some facts to consider. In my eye, the greatest, particularly for the headbutt..
* Scored his first goal professionally in 1991 (the president of the Cannes football club gifted him with a car).
*In his first international game (against the Czech Republic) in 1994, he scored two goals in 17 minutes
*Won Golden Ball — European for leading France to victory in 1998 World Cup
*Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006
*Became football's most expensive player in 2001, when Real Madrid acquired him for £46 million (roughly $66 million)
*Won the 2002 UEFA Champions League and a La Liga title with Real Madrid, and two Serie A league championships with Juventus. Zidane and Ronaldo are the only three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winners; Zidane also won the Ballon d'Or in 1998.
*Christian Dior's first male model
*Captained the French team in World Cup 2006 games; they lost to Italy but still won 2006 FIFA Golden Ball
*Is featured as a LEGO minifigure, included in some of the football playsets
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