Berlin (dpa)
Swiss Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), expressed his dissatisfaction and bewilderment at the criticism he was subjected to following taking a “selfie” near the coffin, in which the body of Brazilian soccer legend Pele is located.
Infantino took the picture with his mobile phone while he was near Pele’s coffin in the middle of the Brazilian club “Santos” stadium, where the body has been lying since yesterday “Monday” to allow fans and fans of Pele and football to take a “last look” at him before his burial yesterday, Tuesday.
Pele passed away last Thursday at the age of 82 following a struggle with cancer.
During his visit to Brazil yesterday, Monday, to participate in the funeral ceremonies for the late Brazilian legend, Infantino confirmed that he would demand that all 211 FIFA member associations name Pele on one of the stadiums in their country with the aim of perpetuating the name of the late star, who is still the only player in history who was crowned with the title. World Cup three times, introducing it to new generations.
Infantino did not understand the reason for the negative understanding of his behavior, and wrote on the “Instagram” network to exchange photos: “I just arrived from my trip to Brazil, where I was honored to participate in the ceremony honoring Pele that took place at Villa Belmero in Santos.” He added, “I feel resentful and confused following I was informed that I was subjected to clear criticism by some people for taking a selfie and other photos during the ceremony yesterday, Monday.”
He pointed out: «I want to clarify that I was honored and influenced by the request of colleagues and members of the family of the legend Pele from me if I might take some pictures with them, and of course I agreed immediately».
He explained, “With regard to the selfie, Pele’s colleagues asked me to take a selfie for all of us, but they did not know how to do that, and in order to help them, I took a picture of one of them and I took a picture of all of us with him.”
And he continued, “If helping a colleague of Pele results in criticism, I am happy to do so and will continue to help as much as I can to those who have contributed to writing the legendary pages of football.”
The FIFA president concluded by saying, “I have so much respect and admiration for Pele and those ceremonies that I would never do anything that might be disrespectful in any way.”
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Infantino raises controversy during Pele’s funeral, and the reason is .. “Sylvie”!!
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
The Swiss Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Football, was subjected to harsh criticism during his participation in the funeral of the Brazilian legend Pele, who passed away at the age of 82, following a long struggle with cancer, as fans stood in a queue of more than a kilometer long to bid farewell to him in a historical scene.
Infantino caused controversy when he was seen smiling next to Pele’s coffin as he took a “selfie” photo with Lima, Pele’s former teammate in Santos, but he quickly responded via Instagram, where he wrote, “I feel horrified following knowing the criticism I was exposed to because of these pictures.” .
He added, “I had the honor of fulfilling the request of some colleagues and members of Pele’s family to take a picture with me, and I obviously agreed immediately, and for the selfie specifically, Pele’s colleagues asked to take a group picture for us, but they did not know how to do it, so I took one of them’s phone and took the picture.” “.
Lima (AFP)
The football world lost “King” Pele at the end of 2022, but it is clear that the name of this legendary player will live on for a long time, especially through 738 children who bore the same name in Peru last year.
According to a list published by the National Registry of Civil Status, 738 children were registered as Pele, Rey Pele (King Pele), or Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the real name of the three-time World Cup winner for his country. The National Register also showed that 551 girls born in 2022 were named Queen Elizabeth or Elizabeth II, following the late Queen of Britain.
The Brazilian president bids his final farewell to legend Pele, in the presence of football dignitaries and thousands of fans
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on Tuesday, bid the final farewell to Brazilian football legend Pele, before the state funeral. Thousands of fans and football dignitaries, led by Swiss FIFA President Gianni Infantino, attended to take a last look at Pele’s coffin in the same stadium where he stunned the world in his early days with his club, Santos.
Brazil and its President, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, greet for the last time, following declaring three days of official mourning, “King” Pele, who died Thursday at the age of 82 following a long struggle with illness.
And travel Lola da Silvawho officially took office Sunday in a ceremony that began with a minute of silence in honor of Pele, to the southeastern city of Santos to “pay his respects and honor” as the 24-hour open funeral concludes.
The emotion was evident on Lula’s face as he and his wife, first lady Rosangela da Silva, stood in front of Pele’s coffin and embraced his widow and family members inside the Villa Belmero stadium, home of Pele’s old club, Santos.
Thousands of fans and football dignitaries, led by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, took a final look at Pele’s coffin in the same stadium where he stunned the world in his early days with his most famous club, Santos.
“Pele is eternal. He is a global icon of football,” Gianni Infantino told reporters on Monday, adding that FIFA would ask all member states to name one of their stadiums following the Brazilian in his honour.
She is an old fan of the club Santos Katja Croce, 58, said she had queued for four hours to arrive at Villa Belmero at 1:30 pm to take a last look at Pele’s coffin. She noted, “Pele was everything. He was the king. He deserves this honour.” She also recalled that Pele was “a very good and humble person” and he always signed the souvenirs that people brought to his house, according to what she reported to Agence France-Presse, adding, “He was humble, a humility that today’s players do not have.”
In turn, Antonio Carlos Pereira da Silva, a 36-year-old artist, indicated that he arrived in the middle of the night to be among the first inside the stadium when the open funeral began on Monday morning. “If I said I didn’t cry when he died, I would be lying,” he said in an interview with Agence France-Presse. He continued, “Pele taught us a lot. Not only Brazil, but the whole world.”
Garlands of flowers from Neymar and Real Madrid
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, nicknamed Pele in his early years, emerged at the age of 15, when he had his first professional experiences with Santos Club.
He managed to win the World Cup three times with his country in 1958, 1962 and 1970, becoming the only player in history to achieve this feat.
The entire world was affected by Pele’s phenomenon, which was confirmed at the moment of his death, following messages of condolence poured in from all parts of the world, including many current and former star players who expressed their admiration for the “king” as a player.
Many sports stars, politicians, dignitaries and fans have moved to Santos to attend the last ceremonies, although New Year’s advent in the same period prevented many from arriving.
Men dressed in black, led by Pele’s son Edinho, carried the legend’s coffin onto the pitch on Monday morning.
In front of the open casket of the “king”, the widow of the late Pele shed tears as she extended her hand to touch his head, Marcia Sibile Oki, his third wife, with whom he was associated in 2016.
The casket was decorated with the flags of Santos and Brazil and surrounded by white flowers, including garlands presented by Real Madrid and current Brazil star Neymar, whose father was present.
post round
Tributes poured in from all over Brazil. While a giant poster with a picture of Pele bearing the word “eternal” was raised at the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio de Janeiro.
Pele was recently treated for colon cancer, before his health deteriorated following he suffered from kidney and heart problems.
But he remained active on social media, as he supported the Brazil national team from his hospital bed in Sao Paulo during the World Cup in Qatar and offered his condolences to the Seleção, who was considered one of the most prominent candidates for the title before the start of the World Cup, following exiting the quarter-finals, Three weeks before his death.
In one final round, the funeral procession will pass through the streets of Santos to the home of Pele’s 100-year-old still-living mother, Celeste Arantes, before concluding at Santos Memorial Cemetery, where the last funeral will take place before Pele’s burial in a private mausoleum. .
France 24/AFP