Pele slugged friend

Pele always said he was unhappy with his name. Now, he says, he slugged the schoolmate who gave him this name.

Pele always said he was unhappy with his name. Now, he says, he slugged the schoolmate who gave him this name. The former Brazil great was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but became better known by his nickname.

Pele told Germany’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper in an interview published on Sunday that he hated the name so much that he flipped out, earning a two-day school suspension. “I didn’t want that name.

In Portuguese, Pele sounds like baby talk,” Pele said. “Edson, in contrast, sounds like Edison, the inventor of the light bulb. But a schoolmate wanted to make me angry by calling me Pele. First, I glared at him, then I hit him.” Pele, who described himself as a good student who normally wouldn’t hurt a fly, said he now feels grateful to the schoolmate for the nickname.

“The good thing is that people can easily say Pele all over the world. With Edson, the Asians would have problems,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve learned to live with two persons in my heart. One is Edson, who has fun with his friends and family. The other is the football player Pele.”

Pele, now aged 65, is regarded as the greatest ever player. He won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Pele also warned defending champion Brazil about being the clear favourite to win June’s World Cup.

“The favourites have often failed to live up to this responsibility. Whether it’s Brazil, Spain or England, there appears to be a curse,” he said.

HT Image