From our Special Envoy in Doha,
Leaving to face the heavy sun of Doha, towards the Hotel Brazil, on Sunday, we expected to find supporters of the Seleção, a few words of support for Pelé and possibly a candle or two. The kind of somewhat cliché plan used in the news to illustrate the tributes to which a dying legend is entitled.
What was our surprise, when we arrived, to find that this projection was so far from reality. Not a sound, not a spade – and yet there are plenty of them in Qatar. Only a team of Brazilian journalists, sitting under an umbrella waiting to see the national team leave for the training ground. “Hello, a word on the worrying state of health of Pelé? “Sorry, we’ll go live soon…” Decidedly.
“If Pelé leaves during the World Cup, it will be a sign from God”
A little further on, three Brazilians are shopping in the souk. An opportunity that cannot be refused, especially since one of them, Edison, has the right words when it comes to evoking the greatest player in history. “We are worried, very worried. It’s truly sad. But if King Pelé leaves during the biggest football event in the world, in a Brazil final for example, it might be a sign from God. The symbolism of such a coincidence would indeed finish canonizing the original number 10, whatever the wish of our supporter is a little murky.
And then, Pelé seems more alive than we say. “I want to reassure everyone, wrote the Brazilian in a post on the networks, illustrated by a medical report published on Saturday describing the state of health of the former striker as stable. I am strong, and hopeful and continuing my treatment as always. The day before, the Brazilian media sent him to palliative care, citing another medical report from the Albert-Einstein hospital according to which Pelé, suffering from colon cancer, would no longer respond to chemotherapy.
When in doubt, another Brazilian, Bruno Maia, a communication professional, suggests not waiting and paying tribute to him during his lifetime.
“It is both a chance to celebrate with him his victorious and luminous passage through the Earth and through life. It is a very difficult time, but also a very beautiful one. It’s up to us to ensure that he receives all this love. We can celebrate Pelé by wearing his clothes, celebrating his name and his story. I will tell my children what he was like, because throughout their lives, when they claim to be Brazilians, they will be recognized as people from the country of Pelé. Everyone can pay their respects and maybe some of them can be bigger, collective, have a social impact, and maybe end up reaching it personally. »
Like in Doha where drones rose in the black sky of the city to design the jersey stamped with the number 10 of Pelé.
The day Tite was afraid of Pelé
The words of Tite, in the conference on the eve of the match against South Korea, are those that will undoubtedly reach the old man. It should be noted, however, that it took a Danish colleague to ask the question for the coach to bring up the subject. “I should have started the interview with that,” Tite apologized. This is not the first time that he has been afraid to approach Pelé. “He may have been the only person I greeted when I started shaking,” he said, recalling the draw for the 2018 World Cup, which O Rei also attended. I speak from the heart, with emotion. We were both seated. I was focused and I was told: “Go hug Pelé”. I stood up and shivered. My hand was sweaty, my pulse increased,” he smiled.
The master’s aura still has the same effect. César Sampaio, assistant to the Seleção: “During my first call-up to the national team, I had the opportunity to play with Pelé. I trembled even more than Tite! But that’s still nothing compared to the fear aroused by his departure. Bruno Maia is preparing for it somehow. “Pelé must separate from Edson (his first name), who is a fallible man like all of us, to leave room only for his legend. Edson is human, but Pelé is something special, who will remain for eternity. »