Is the World's Greatest aiming a dig at Cristiano?
Brazilian legend Pele’s recent criticism of players who are concerned only with money seems to been aimed at a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking in Hong Kong Pele said:
“I tease the players now, they didn’t love the team, they didn’t love the game, they love the money – because they go to Real Madrid, or go to Santos, or go to Arsenal, or go to Manchester, they presented this ‘I love Manchester’,” he said as he mimicked kissing his badge.
“Tomorrow he go to Madrid he says, ‘ I love Madrid, I love Madrid.’ Pele again mimicked kissing his badge.
“They love who pay little bit more, you know, that’s the danger for the football.”
Pele was in Hong Kong as part of a promotional Asian tour on behalf of New York Cosmos. With A certain Eric Cantona as ‘Director of “Soccer”‘ would it be any surprise if the widely recognised world’s greatest-ever footballer and the United legend shared a mutual disdain for the way Ronaldo left Old Trafford.
The whole “I love Manchester” followed by “I love Madrid” cannot have been aimed at anyone else- unless Pele has some pretty strange views on the way Adebayor left City.
The three time World Cup winner has made no secret of the fact he feels money is ruining the game and as a player who spent much of his career at Santos, when he could have left for a lot more money, a long time before he moved to New York Cosmos, you’d expect him to be unimpressed with the actions of modern footballers.
In the past Pele has never been afraid to criticise individuals who he feels are letting money get in the way of their football, with Ronaldinho recently being on the receiving end of a rebuke. Whether Ronaldo will have taken Pele’s comments as a criticism of himself remains to be seen, whether he’d even care if he did, is doubtful to say the least.
One thing’s for certain, when the most revered man in World football speaks, people sit up and listen.
I think what pele is saying is very right, the so called footballer do’nt really care about football again,all they want is the money they will be paid and when that happen the love for football will not be there anymore.
Pele clearly wouldnt of been on about City or Adebayor as he was talking about Manchester and when they do this they only ever mean United as we are known simply as Manchester across the world whiles City are known as City by the few who actually knows of that small club. He was obviously on about Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronnie should of stayed here and its a real shame he wanted to join Madrid after everything we did for him and all he achieved, I know Ronnie still loves United but I wish he was still here.
i totally agree with the fact that money is destroying the game. but i think its harsh on ronaldo because madrid is his boyhood team. I wouldnt be suprized to see him back in a united shirt at the same time though.
Ronaldo always stated his love for Real Madrid/
Ronaldo can be in Madrid, he wont win any trophies, that fool. He’s a pretty boy after more money and he’s going down the same path as Ronaldinho, a show man with no more trophies to win. so unprofessional it makes me sick.
That’s funny coming from Pele… how quickly we forget when a certain Pele went to NY Cosmos for record payment. “I’ll never play outside of Brasil” but after coming out of retirement to play in the US for record $$… it’s a shame for Pele to say that.
Think that you may be completely wrong. Personally, i think that he was talking about Beckham the traitor.
I don’t think he was talking about Becks – as most know his main reason for leaving United was his falling out with Fergie. Becks constantly states his wish that he never left Old Trafford! Ronaldo left because he wanted to be seen to be a winner in the two biggest leagues in the world and arguably the two biggest teams.. To bad Madrid won’t catch Barca anytime soon!