Q.
A. Pele:
Early life
Born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho (born Joao Ramos do Bojang) and Celeste.[4] He was named after American inventor Thomas Edison,[5] and was originally nicknamed Dico by his family.[4][6][7] He did not receive the nickname "Pelé" until his school days, when it is claimed he was given it because of his pronunciation of the name of his favourite player, local Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé, which he misspoke "Pilé".[7] He originally disliked the nickname, being suspended from school for punching the classmate that coined it,[8] but the more he complained the more it stuck. In his autobiography, Pelé stated he had no idea what the name means, nor did his old friends.[4] Apart from the assertion that the name is derived from that of Bilé, the word has no known meaning, although it does resemble the Irish language word 'Peile', meaning football, and the Hebrew word פֶּלֶא, meaning "wonder".[9]
Growing up in poverty in Bauru, São Paulo, Pelé earned extra money by shining shoes at the Bauru Athletic Club on match days. Taught to play by his father, whose own professional football career with Atletico Mineiro ended prematurely due to a knee injury, he could not afford a proper football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with newspaper, tied with a string[4] or a grapefruit.[10]
His first team was called the "Shoeless Ones" formed by himself and other boys from the Sete de Setembro and Rubens Arruda street but, when they entered a local tournament organised by the mayor of Bauru that required footwear, they were no longer shoeless and were renamed Ameriquinha. They reached the final in BAC Stadium in front of thousands of spectators and won with Pelé ending up as the tournament top scorer.
In 1954, several members of the Ameriquinha team, including Pelé, were invited to join the Baquinho boy's team to be managed by former Brazilian international Waldemar de Brito, who played in the 1934 World Cup in Italy. For the first time, Pelé was paid to play football. The team won the 1954 Youth Championship organised by the newspapers Diario de Bauru and the São Paulo Sporting Gazette with Pelé scoring 148 goals in 33 games.
At 15 and a half, he joined the Santos FC junior team. He played for one season before joining the club
[edit] Club career
[edit] Santos
In 1956, de Brito took Pelé to Santos, an industrial and port city in the eastern state of São Paulo, to try out for professional club Santos Futebol Clube telling the directors at Santos that the 15-year-old would be "the greatest football player in the world."[11]
During his time at Santos, Pelé played alongside many gifted players, including Zito, Pepe and Coutinho; the latter partnered him in numerous one-two plays, attacks, and goals.
Pelé made his debut for Santos in 1956, scoring one goal in a 7-1 friendly victory over Corinthians. When the 1957 season started, Pelé was given a starting place in the first team and, at the age of just 16, became the top scorer in the league. Just ten months after signing professionally, the teenager was called up to the Brazil national team. After the World Cup in 1962, wealthy European clubs offered massive fees to sign the young player, but the government of Brazil declared Pelé an "official national treasure" to prevent him from being transferred out of the country.[12]
On November 19, 1969, Pelé scored his 1000th goal in all competitions. This was a highly anticipated moment in Brazil.[5] The goal, called popularly O Milésimo (The Thousandth), occurred in a match against Vasco da Gama, when Pelé scored a penalty kick, at the Maracanã Stadium.[5]
Pelé states that his most beautiful goal was scored at Rua Javari stadium on a Campeonato Paulista match against São Paulo rivals Juventus on August 2, 1959. As there is no video footage of this match, Pelé asked that a computer animation be made of this specific goal.[5] In March 1961, Pelé scored the gol de placa (goal worthy of a plaque), a goal against Fluminense at the Maracanã which was regarded as so spectacular that a plaque was commissioned with a dedication to the most beautiful goal in the history of the Maracanã.[13]
In 1967, the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos.[14]
In a Santos - Cruzeiro match, played in 1968, Pelé broke the leg of Procópio.[15]
[edit] New York Cosmos
After the 1972 season (his 17th with Santos), Pelé retired from Brazilian club football. Two years later, he signed with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League for the 1975 season. Though then past his prime, Pelé is credited with significantly increasing public awareness and interest in soccer in the United States. He led the Cosmos to the 1977 NASL championship, in his third and final season with the club.
On 1 October 1977, Pelé closed out his legendary career in front of a capacity crowd at Giants Stadium. In an exhibition match televised nationwide and worldwide, he played the first half with the Cosmos and the second half with his old team Santos.
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[edit] National team career
Pelé's first international match was a 2-1 victory against Argentina on July 7, 1957. In that match, he scored his first goal for Brazil, three months before his 17th birthday.
[edit] 1958 World Cup
His World Cup debut was against the USSR in the first round of the 1958 FIFA World Cup. He was the youngest player of that tournament, and at the time the youngest ever to play in the World Cup.[16] He scored his first World Cup goal against Wales in quarterfinals, the only goal of the match, to help Brazil advance to semifinals, while becoming the youngest ever World Cup goalscorer at 17 years and 239 days. Against France in the semifinal, Brazil was leading 2-1 at halftime, and then Pelé scored a hat-trick, becoming the youngest in World Cup history to do so.
On 19 June 1958 Pelé became the youngest player to play in a World Cup final match at 17 years and 249 days. He scored two goals in the final as Brazil beat Sweden 5-2. His first goal, a lob over a defender followed by a precise volley shot, was selected as one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup. When the match ended, he passed out on the field, and had to be attended by the medical staff.[5] He then recovered, and was visibly compelled by the victory, in tears as being congratulated by his teammates. He finished the tournament with six goals in four matches played, tied for second place, behind record-breaker Just Fontaine.
[edit] 1962 World Cup
In the first match of the 1962 World Cup, against Mexico, Pelé assisted the first goal and then scored the final goal to go up 2-0 after a run past four defenders.[17] He injured himself while attempting a long-range shot against Czechoslovakia.[5] This would keep him out of the rest of the tournament, and forced coach Aymoré Moreira to make his only lineup change of the tournament. The substitute was Amarildo, who had a good performance in the tournament; it was, however, Garrincha, who would take the leading role and carried Brazil to their second World Cup title.
[edit] 1966 World Cup
The 1966 tournament was remembered for its excessive physical play, and Pelé was one of the victims of such play. After becoming the first player ever to score in three World Cups, with a direct free kick against Bulgaria, he had to rest, due to tiredness,[18] for the match against Hungary, which Brazil lost 1-3. He then faced Portugal, and several violent tackles by the Portuguese defenders caused him to leave the match and the tournament. Brazil lost that match and were eliminated in the first round of the World Cup for the first time since 1934. After the tournament, Pelé declared that he did not wish to play in the World Cup again.[5]
[edit] 1970 World Cup
When Pelé was called to the national team in early 1969, he first refused, but then accepted and played in six World Cup qualifying matches, scoring six goals. The 1970 tournament in Mexico was to be Pelé's last.
The 1970 squad featured major changes in relation to the 1966 squad. Players like Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Djalma Santos, and Gilmar had already retired, but the team, with Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Gérson, Tostão, and Clodoaldo, is widely considered one of the greatest football teams ever.[19]
In the first match, against Czechoslovakia, Pelé scored the 2-1 after controlling Gerson's pass with his chest. Brazil won the match, 4-1. On the first half of the match against England, he nearly scored with a header that was spectacularly saved by Gordon Banks. On the second half, he assisted Jairzinho for the only goal of the match. Against Romania, he opened the score on a direct free kick goal, a strong strike with the outside of his right foot. Later on the match he scored again to put the score 3-1. Brazil won by a final score of 3-2. In quarterfinals against Peru, Brazil won 4-2, with Pelé assisting Tostão on his team's third goal. In the semi-finals, Brazil faced Uruguay for the first time since the 1950 World Cup final round match. Jairzinho put Brazil ahead 2-1, and Pelé assisted Rivelino for the 3-1. In that match, Pelé hit Uruguayan player Fontes with his elbow,[5] at the same time the latter was fouling Pelé.
Brazil played Italy in the final, with Pelé scoring the opener on a header over defender Tarcisio Burgnich. He then made assists on Jairzinho's and Carlos Alberto's goals, the latter one after an impressive collective play. Brazil won the match 4-1, keeping the Jules Rimet Trophy indefinitely. Burgnich, who marked Pelé during the match, was quoted saying "I told myself before the game, he's made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong".[20]
His last international match was on July 18, 1971 against Yugoslavia in Rio de Janeiro. His record with the Brazilian team was 67 wins, 14 draws, and 11 losses. Brazil never lost a match with both Pelé and Garrincha on the field.[21]
[edit] Honours
[edit] Santos
Official Tournaments
Campeonato Paulista champion in 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1973[22]
Torneio Rio-São Paulo champion in 1959, 1963 and 1964[23]
Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa (Taça de Prata) champion in 1968
Taça Brasil champion in 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965
Copa Libertadores champion in 1962 and 1963
Intercontinental Cup in 1962 and 1963
South-American Recopa in 1968
[edit] New York Cosmos
NASL champion in 1977
[edit] Brazil
World Cup champion in 1958, 1962, 1970
Roca Cup: 1957, 1963
Copa O'Higgins: 1959
Copa Atlântica: 1960
[edit] Other
He was voted Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999 for his Olympic successes.[24]
In December 2000, Pelé was named Footballer of the Century by FIFA. The award was intended to be based upon votes in a web poll, but after it became apparent that it favoured Diego Maradona, many observers complained that the Internet nature of the poll would have meant a skewed demographic of younger fans who would have seen Maradona play, but not Pelé. FIFA then appointed a "Family of Football" committee of soccer experts to decide the winner of the award. Maradona was instead awarded the title of FIFA Internet Player of the Century. Allegations that the Internet poll had been bombarded by Argentine fans still remain to this day.[25]
In the same year, Pelé received the Laureus World Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award from South African President Nelson Mandela.
[edit] Career Statistics
[edit] Goalscoring and appearance record
Pelé's goalscoring record is often reported as being 1281 goals in 1363 games.[26] This figure includes goals scored by Pelé in non-competitive club matches, for example, international tours Pelé completed with Santos and the New York Cosmos, and games Pelé played in for armed forces teams during his national service in Brazil.[27]
The tables below record every goal Pelé scored in major club competitions for Santos and the New York Cosmos. During much of Pelé's playing career in Brazil there was no national league championship. From 1960 onwards the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) were required to provide meritocratic entrants for the then-new Copa Libertadores, a South American international club competition broadly equivalent to the European Cup. To enable them to do this, the CBF organised two national competitions: the Taça de Prata and Taça Brasil. A national league championship, the Campeonato Brasileiro, was first played in 1971, alongside traditional state and interstate competitions such as the Campeonato Paulista and the Torneio Rio-São Paulo.
The number of league goals scored by Pelé is listed as 589 in 605 games. This number is the sum of the goals scored by Pelé in national league-based competitions: the Campeonato Paulista (SPS), Torneio Rio-São Paulo (RSPS), Taça de Prata and Campeonato Brasileiro. The Taça Brasil was a national competition organised on a knockout basis.
A dark grey cell in the table indicates that the relevant competition did not take place that year.
Club Season Domestic League Competitions Domestic League
Sub-total Domestic Cup International Club Competitions Other Club
Matches[28] GRAND
TOTAL
SPS[29] RSPS[29] T. de Prata Camp. Brasil.[29] T. Brasil Copa Libertadores Intercontinental Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Santos 1956 0* 0* 0* 0* 2* 2*[30] 2* 2*
1957 14+15* 19+17*[31] 9 5 38* 41* 29* 16* 67* 57*
1958 38 58 8 8 46 66 14* 14* 60* 80*
1959 32 45 7 6 39 51 4* 2* 40* 47* 83* 100*
1960 30 33 3 0 33 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 34* 26* 67* 59*
1961 26 47 7 8 33 55 5* 7 0 0 0 0 36* 48* 74* 110*
1962 26 37 0 0 26 37 5* 2* 4* 4* 2 5 13* 14* 50* 62*
1963 19 22 8 14 27 36 4* 8 4* 5* 1 2 16 16* 52* 67*
1964 21 34 4 3 25 37 6* 7 0* 0* 0 0 16* 13* 47* 57*
1965 30 49 7 5 37 54 4* 2* 7* 8 0 0 18* 33* 66* 97*
1966 14 13 0* 0* 14* 13* 5* 2* 0 0 0 0 19* 16* 38* 31*
1967 18 17 14* 9* 32* 26* 0 0 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 65* 56*
1968 21 17 17* 11* 38* 28* 0 0 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 73* 55*
1969 25 26 12* 12* 37* 38* 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 61* 57*
1970 15 7 13* 4* 28* 11* 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 54* 47*
1971 19 8 21 1 40 9 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 72* 29*
1972 20 9 16 5 36 14 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 74* 50*
1973 19 11 30 19 49 30 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 66* 52*
1974 10 1 17 9 27 10 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 49* 19*
All 412 470 53 49 56* 36* 84 34 605* 589* 33 30 15 17[32] 3 7 ??? ??? 1120 1087
Club Season NASL Other[33] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
NY Cosmos 1975 9 5 14* 10* 23* 15*
1976 24 15 18* 11* 42* 26*
1977 31 17 11* 6* 42* 23*
All 64 37 43* 27* 107* 64*
A dark grey cell means that the relevant competition did not run in the relevant year
A "*" indicates this number was inferred from a Santos fixture list from rsssf.com and this list of games Pelé played.
[edit] Other records
Pelé is in third place on the list of all-time top goalscorers in international matches; in 92 appearances for the Brazilian team, he scored 77 goals. He is in fourth place behind Ronaldo, Gerd Müller, and Just Fontaine on the list of goalscorers in World Cup matches, with 12 goals. He was part of three World Cup winning teams, although he did not play in the 1962 final due to injury and did not receive a medal. Pelé is one of only four footballers to have achieved the feat of scoring in two different World Cup final matches, sharing that honor with Paul Breitner, Vava, and Zinedine Zidane.[34] He is one of five players to have scored twice from direct free kick in World Cups (The others are Rivelino, Teófilo Cubillas, Bernard Genghini, and David Beckham). He is one of only two players to have scored in four World Cups (the other being Uwe Seeler, who did it in the same four tournaments as Pelé).
It is often claimed that Pelé is the most prolific scorer in football history. According to FIFA, Pelé ended his career with a total of 1281 goals in 1363 matches.[26] However, many of these goals were scored in non-competitive club matches. For instance, if one counts non-competitive goals when compiling the total of goals scored by Gerd Müller, he would have a career total of 1455 goals in 1204 games.[35] As non-competitive games are rarely counted in player's statistics it is unknown how many players could have passed Pelé's mark, but 1281 goals is certainly one of the highest totals achieved by a professional footballer. If one looks only at competitive goals, then Pelé is the second highest scorer of all time behind Josef Bican.[36] Bican never attempted to draw attention to his record, and when questioned about this, he quipped "who'd have believed me if I said I'd scored five times as many goals as Pelé?"[37]
Although the Brazilian domestic league system provided every single starter from the 1958, 1962, and 1970 Brazil World Cup Champions,[38] perhaps leading one to the assumption that it was the world's strongest league during the years of Pelé's career, one also has to take into account the state nature of the league. At the time Santos mainly played against other teams from the São Paulo region, whereas the best players were spread around teams all across Brazil. For instance Garrincha, Jairzinho and Altair played in the Rio de Janeiro League, Tostão played in the Minas Gerais League, and of the players that actually competed in São Paulo, Carlos Alberto, Zito, Pepe and Gilmar actually played with Pele for Santos. As of 2006, teams from São Paulo state have won 14 of a possible 36 national league titles (see Titles by state).
[edit] After football
The most notable area of Pelé's life since football is his ambassadorial work for various bodies. In 1992, Pelé was appointed a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment. He was awarded Brazil's Gold Medal for outstanding services to the sport in 1995, Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso appointed him to the position of "Extraordinary Minister for Sport" and he was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. During this time he proposed legislation to reduce corruption in Brazilian football, which became known as the Pelé law. Pelé left his position in 2001 after he was accused of involvement in a bribery scandal.[39] In 1997 he was given an honorary British knighthood.
Pelé scouted for Premiership Football Team Fulham FC in 2002.[citation needed] He was chosen to do the draw for the qualification groups 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, in which what team would be selected onto what group.[40]
Pelé drew international media attention due to the imprisonment of his son Edson Cholbi Nascimento, an ex-goalkeeper of Santos Futebol Clube, who was arrested in an operation to dismantle a drug gang in southeastern Brazil. The younger Nascimento, then 35, was arrested along with about 50 other people after an eight-month investigation into a cocaine trafficking operation in the port city of Santos.[citation needed] Pelé has published several autobiographies, starred in documentary and semi-documentary films and composed various musical pieces, including the entire soundtrack for the film Pelé in 1977. He appeared, alongside other footballers of the 1960s and 1970s, Michael Caine, and Sylvester Stallone, in the 1981 film Escape to Victory, about an attempted escape from a World War II Nazi POW Camp. Pelé was one of the first black persons to be featured on the cover of Life magazine, and was the first sports figure featured in a video game with the Atari 2600 game Pelé's Soccer.
He is now reasonably well known for his role in promoting the impotence drug Viagra.[41] The wonderdrug famously helped Pele maintain mighty erections well into "extra time".
He is now represented by Prime Licensing, a company created by Jose Alves de Araujo to launch a line of products to compete with the biggest names in fashion.[citation needed]
[edit] Acting and film career
Os Estranhos (1969) (TV Series)
O Barão Otelo no Barato dos Bilhões (1971)
A Marcha (1973)
Os Trombadinhas (1978)
Victory (1981)
A Minor Miracle (1983)
Pedro Mico (1985)
Os Trapalhões e o Rei do Futebol (1986)
Hotshot (1987)
Solidão, Uma Linda História de Amor (1990)
Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)
ESPN SportsCentury (2004)
[edit] Personal life
Pelé has been married twice; first in 1966, to Rosemeri, with whom he had three children. This marriage ended in divorce in 1982. He married Assiria on April 30, 1994 and the couple have two children.
In addition to his children from two marriages, Pele has at least one other daughter, Sandra Regina Arantes do Nascimento (who died of breast cancer on October 17, 2006 at age 42).[8]
Maradona:
Maradona had a short, strong physique and could withstand physical pressure well. His strong legs and low center of gravity gave him an advantage in short sprints.[5] His physical strengths were illustrated by his two goals against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup. Maradona was a strategist and a team player, as well as highly technical with the ball. He could manage himself effectively in limited spaces, and would attract defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as in the second 1986 goal against England),[6] or give an assist to a free teammate. Being short, but strong, he could hold the ball long enough with a defender on his back to wait for a teammate making a run or to find a gap for a quick shot.
One of Maradona's trademark moves was dribbling full-speed as a left wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering lethally accurate passes to his teammates. Another trademark was the Rabona, a reverse-cross pass shot behind the leg that holds all the weight. This maneuver led to several assists, such as the powerful cross for Ramón Díaz's header in the 1980 friendly against Switzerland. He was also a dangerous free kick taker.
[edit] Early years
Diego Armando Maradona was born in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires,[7] to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province. He was the first son after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (el Turco) and Eduardo (Lalo), both of whom were also professional footballers.
At age 10, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires side Argentinos Juniors.[5] As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games.[8]
[edit] Club career
Maradona's Boca 1981 match-worn shirt. In his first season with his favorite team, he won the Argentine Apertura Metropolitan league.Maradona made his professional debut on October 20, 1976 ten days before his sixteenth birthday, with Argentinos Juniors.[3] He played there between 1976 and 1981, before his £1.0m transfer to the club that he supported, Boca Juniors. Joining the squad midway through the 1981 season, Maradona played through 1982, and secured his first league title.
After the 1982 World Cup, in June, Maradona was transferred to FC Barcelona in Spain for a then world record £5.0m.[3] In 1983, under coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey (Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real Madrid. However, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona.[9] first a bout with hepatitis An ill-timed tackle by Athletic Bilbao's Andoni Goikoetxea jeopardized his career,[3] but Maradona's physical strength and willpower made it possible for him to be back on the pitch after only 14 weeks. It is believed that it was while playing for Barcelona that Maradona was introduced to cocaine, to which he would become addicted.[10]
[edit] The Napoli era
Maradona got into frequent disputes with Barcelona's directors, especially club president Josep Lluís Nuñez. In 1984, he demanded a transfer out of Nou Camp. He subsequently went to Serie A and SSC Napoli for another record fee, £6.9m, and became an adored star among the club's fans, as he elevated the team to its most successful era. Napoli won their only Italian Championships (1986/87 and 1989/1990), a Coppa Italia (1987), a UEFA Cup (1989) and an Italian Supercup (1990). Napoli were also runners-up in the Italian Championship twice, in 1987/88 and 1988/89.
In Naples, Maradona was present for a transformation of the local club. They had traditionally been overshadowed by the teams from the industrial cities in the north, but Maradona's arrival (along with Careca and others) brought them a first scudetto in 1987.[3] A second followed in 1990, along with cup successes. However, Maradona also faced a scandal there regarding an illegitimate son; he was also the object of some suspicion over his friendship with the Camorra, the local mafia.
Maradona left Napoli in 1992, after serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug test for cocaine. He played for Sevilla FC (1992–93), Newell's Old Boys (1993) and Boca Juniors (1995–97).[3] He also attempted to work as a coach on two short stints, leading Mandiyú of Corrientes (1994) and Racing Club (1995), but without much success. He retired from football on October 30, 1997, his 37th birthday.
[edit] International career
Maradona and the Youth World Cup trophy in 1979.He debuted with the Argentina national football team ("la selección"), at age 16, against Hungary. At age 18, he played the Football World Youth Championship for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, shining in their 3–1 final win over the USSR team.
[edit] 1982 World Cup
Maradona played his first World Cup tournament in 1982. In the first round, Argentina, the defending champions, lost to Belgium. Although the team convincingly beat Hungary and El Salvador to progress to the second round, they were defeated in the second round by eventual winners Italy. Maradona played in all five matches without being substituted, scoring twice against Hungary, but was sent off with 5 minutes remaining in the game against Brazil for serious foul play.
[edit] 1986 World Cup
The Hand of God incident in the quarter-final against England (Peter Shilton also shown)Maradona captained the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, winning the final against West Germany. Throughout the 1986 World Cup, Maradona asserted his dominance and was the most dynamic player of the tournament. He played every minute of every game, scored 5 goals and made 5 assists. However, it was the two goals he scored in a 2-1 quarter-final win against England which cemented his legend.
Replays showed that the first goal was scored with the aid of his hand. Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." The play became known as the "Hand of God," or "la mano de Dios." Ultimately, on 22 August 2005 Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he hit the ball with his hand purposely, and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. He recalled thinking right after the goal that
“ I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came . . . I told them, 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'[11] ”
In contrast, Maradona's second goal was a technically pure display of Maradona's astonishing dribbling ability. He picked up the ball in his own half, swiveled around and ran more than half the length of the field, dribbling past five English players: (Glenn Hoddle, Peter Reid, Kenny Sansom, Terry Butcher, and Terry Fenwick) and goalkeeper Peter Shilton. This goal was voted the Goal of the Century in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA. In 2002, the two goals were ranked 6th in the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments by the UK's Channel 4 television channel.
Maradona followed this with two more goals in the semifinal against Belgium. In the final, the opposing German side attempted to contain him by double-marking, but he nevertheless found the space to give the final service to Jorge Burruchaga for the winning goal. Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 and Maradona lifted the World Cup trophy after dominating the tournament in an historic fashion.
He later admited to being a cheat with his 'Hand of God' goal but claimed his goal was nothing more than 'an instinctive reaction'.
[edit] 1990 World Cup
Maradona captained Argentina again in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. An ankle injury affected his overall performance, and he was much less dominant than four years earlier. Argentina were almost eliminated in the first round, only qualifying in third position from their group. In the round of 16 match against Brazil, a Maradona run from his own half set up the opportunity for Claudio Caniggia to score the game's only goal. Argentina then faced Yugoslavia in the quarterfinal round, the match ending 0-0 after 120 minutes, and Argentina advancing on penalty kicks, despite Maradona missing one of the penalties in the shootout. The semifinal against the host nation Italy was also resolved on penalties after a 1-1 draw; this time, Maradona was successful with his effort. In the final, Argentina lost 1-0 to West Germany, the only goal being a penalty by Andreas Brehme in the 85th minute after a controversial foul on Rudi Voller. Many thought that this was the beginning of the end of Maradona.[12]
[edit] 1994 World Cup
At the 1994 FIFA World Cup Maradona played in two games, scoring one goal against Greece, before being sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine doping. In his autobiography, Maradona argued that the test result was due to his personal trainer giving him the power drink Rip Fuel. His claim was that the U.S. version, unlike the Argentinian, contained the chemical and that, having run out of his Argentinian dosage, his trainer unwittingly bought the U.S. formula. FIFA subsequently expelled him from USA '94 and the Argentinians, affected by his absence, went home in the second round. Maradona has also separately claimed that he had an agreement with FIFA, on which the organization reneged, to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play. According to Maradona, this was so that the World Cup would not lose prestige because of his absence. This allegation was never proved, and many fans attribute his comment ("they cut off my legs") to his anger at being suspended.
[edit] Retirement and honours
In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego ("I am The Diego"), which became an instant bestseller[13] in his home country. Two years later, Maradona donated the Cuban royalties of his book to "the Cuban people and Fidel."[14]
Also in 2000, while Napoli was retiring the number 10 jersey in his honour, FIFA conducted a fan poll on the Internet, to determine the Player of the Century. Maradona, with 53.6% of the votes, was the clear winner. After Brazilian commentators claimed the voting was flawed (because a younger internet demographic would have seen Maradona play, but not Pelé), FIFA appointed a "Football Family" committee of football experts that voted to award Pelé the title. Maradona protested at the change in procedure, and declared he would not attend the ceremony if Pelé replaced him. Eventually, two awards were made, one to each of the pair. Maradona accepted his prize, but left the ceremony without waiting to see Pelé receive his accolade.[1]
In 2001, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) asked FIFA for authorization to retire the jersey number 10 for Maradona. FIFA did not grant the request, even though Argentine officials have maintained that FIFA hinted that it would.[15]
Maradona has won other fan polls, including a 2002 FIFA poll in which his second goal against England was chosen as the best goal ever scored in a World Cup; he also won the most votes in a poll to determine the All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors named the team's stadium after Maradona on December 26, 2003.
On 22 June 2005, it was announced that Maradona would return to Boca Juniors as a sports vice president in charge of managing the First Division roster (after a disappointing 2004–05 season, which coincided with Boca's centenary).[16] His contract began 1 August 2005, and one of his first recommendations proved to be very effective: he was the one who decided to hire Alfio Basile as the new coach. With Maradona fostering a close relationship with the players, Boca went on to win the 2005 Apertura title, the 2006 Clausura title, the 2005 Copa Sudamericana and the 2005 Recopa Sudamericana.
On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10 ("The Night of the no. 10"). His main guest on opening night was Pelé; the two had a friendly chat, showing no signs of past differences. In subsequent evenings, he led the ratings on all occasions but one. Most guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business, including Zidane, Ronaldo and Hernán Crespo, but also included interviews with other notable personalities such as Fidel Castro and Mike Tyson.
During 2006, Maradona remained aloof from day-to-day activities. He was seen mostly on game days, cheering the Boca from his private box in the Bombonera. On August 26, 2006, it was announced that Maradona was quitting his position in the club Boca Juniors because of disagreements with the AFA, who selected Basile to be the new coach of the Argentina National Football Team.[17]
The award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica is preparing a documentary about Maradona's life, entitled Maradona. The film is currently in post-production, and its release is anticipated in 2007. Italian-Australian actor Marco Leonardi has been confirmed to play the prolific footballer in the film.
In September 2006, Maradona, in his famous blue and white number 10, was the captain for Argentina in a three-day World Cup of Indoor Football tournament in Spain. Against Spain, Maradona set up the first goal for Argentina with a lob over the top of the defense for his teammate to head it home.
[edit] Personal agents
Jorge Cyterszpiller, a childhood friend, was Maradona's first agent. He set up Maradona Producciones but did not score any major successes with merchandising, as counterfeiters would quickly imitate any product that came on the market. On his advice, Maradona started charging for interviews, a move that generated some controversy.
After breaking up with Cyterszpiller, Maradona hooked up with Guillermo Coppola, a bank employee who had started representing players as a hobby and was already a major agent in the mid-1980s. Coppola oversaw the biggest contracts of Maradona's career, but also was involved in the drug scandals of the early 1990s. Maradona and Coppola parted ways acrimoniously, and they still refer to the end of their relations as an "open wound".
[edit] Personal life
Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on November 7, 1989 in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (b. 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (b. 1989). In his autobiography, Maradona admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.
Maradona and Villafañe divorced in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. They traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005[18] and were seen together on many other occasions, including the Argentina matches during 2006 FIFA World Cup.
During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of Diego Sinagra (b. Naples, 1986), as was claimed by the youth's mother Cristiana Sinagra. (The Italian courts had so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his paternity.) Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after tricking his way onto a golf course in Naples where Maradona was playing.[19]
[19]
After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theatre producer, and Dalma is seeking an acting career; she has expressed her desire to attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.[20][21]
[edit] Drug abuse and health situation
Maradona has had a series of health problems since retirement. Since the 1990s, Maradona has been battling a cocaine addiction, which included spells in Swiss and Cuban detox clinics. Between 2002 and 2005, Maradona spent most of his time in Cuba.
On April 18, 2004, doctors reported that Maradona had suffered a major heart attack following a cocaine overdose; he was admitted to intensive care in a Buenos Aires hospital. Scores of fans gathered around the clinic. Days after the heart attack, a nurse was caught taking photos of Maradona with a mobile phone and was promptly fired by the hospital managers.
After he showed improvement, Maradona was taken off the respirator on April 23 and remained in intensive care for several days before being discharged on April 29. He returned to Cuba in May.
Maradona has always had a tendency to put on weight, and suffered increasingly with obesity from the end of his playing career until undergoing gastric bypass surgery in a clinic in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia on March 6, 2005. When Maradona resumed public appearances shortly thereafter, he displayed a notably thinner figure.
[edit] Political views
Maradona with the Argentinian president Néstor KirchnerDuring the nineties, Diego Maradona supported the presidency of neoliberal Carlos Menem in Argentina. In more recent years, Maradona has shown more sympathy to left-wing ideologies. He became friends with Fidel Castro while in treatment in Cuba. He has a portrait of Castro tattooed on his left leg and one of Ernesto Che Guevara on his right arm.[22] He has declared his opposition to imperialism, notably during the 2005 Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina. There he protested George W. Bush's presence in Argentina, wearing a Stop Bush T-shirt and referring to Bush as "human garbage".[23]
[edit] Reputation
Ever since 1986, it is common for Argentines abroad to hear Maradona's name as a token of recognition, even in remote places.[9] In Argentina, Maradona is often talked about in terms reserved for legends. In the Argentine film El Hijo de la Novia ("The bride's son"), an actor who plays a fake Catholic priest says to a bar patron: "they idolized him and then crucified him". When scolded by a friend for taking the prank too far, the fake priest retorts: "But I was talking about Maradona".
In Buenos Aires, fans organized the "Church of Maradona." Maradona's 43rd birthday in 2003 marked the start of the Year 43 D.D. - "Después de Diego" or After Diego - for its founding 200 members. Tens of thousands more[24] have become members via the church's official web site.
Hounded for years by the press, Maradona even fired a compressed-air rifle against reporters who, so he claimed, invaded his privacy. This quote from former teammate Jorge Valdano summarizes the feelings of many:
“ He is someone many people want to emulate, a controversial figure, loved, hated, who stirs great upheaval, especially in Argentina... Stressing his personal life is a mistake. Maradona has no peers inside the pitch, but he has turned his life into a show, and is now living a personal ordeal that should not be imitated. [25] ”
Maradona still generates controversy in England. In 1988, he played in an invitational game at London's Wembley Stadium celebrating the centenary of the English Football League. Maradona was part of the 'Rest of the World XI' playing against the English League XI. Each time that Maradona touched the ball he was subject to angry chants and boos from the crowd. It was reported that he received threats while in England.
A columnist for the sports daily Olé welcomed Maradona's hosting a TV show in 2005, noting that "for the first time, he seems to have found his place in the world outside the football pitch".
A television commercial for Brazilian soft drink Guaraná Antarctica portrayed Maradona as a member of the Brazilian national football team, including wearing the yellow jersey and singing the Brazilian national anthem with Brazilian caps Kaká and Ronaldo. Later on in the commercial he wakes up realizing it was nightmare after having drank to much of the soft drink. This generated some controversy in the Argentinean media after its release (although the commercial was not supposed to air on the Argentine market, fans became aware of it through YouTube.
In May 2006, Maradona agreed to take part in UK's Soccer Aid (a program to raise money for Unicef). Maradona showed his skill with the ball and even scored a penalty.[26]
[edit] Career statistics
[edit] Club
His overall average of goals scored per match in domestic club competitions is 0.53.
[edit] International
34 goals in 91 appearances for Argentina (1977-1994)
Started in 21 consecutive matches for Argentina in four World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
Appeared a World Cup-record 16 times as captain of the national team.
Scored 8 goals and made 8 assists in 21 World Cup appearances, including 5 goals and 5 assists in 1986
Tied for second-highest goal-scorer from Argentina in World Cup finals (equaled Guillermo Stabile's mark in 1994; surpassed by Gabriel Batistuta in 1998)
[edit] Honours
[edit] Club honours
1981 Argentine league (Boca Juniors)
1983 Copa del Rey (FC Barcelona)
1987 Italian league (SSC Napoli)
1987 Italian Cup (SSC Napoli)
1988 Italian top-scorer (SSC Napoli)
1989 UEFA Cup (SSC Napoli)
1990 Italian league (SSC Napoli)
1991 Italian Super Cup (SSC Napoli)
[edit] International honours
1979 FIFA World Youth Championship: Winner
1986 FIFA World Cup: Winner
1990 FIFA World Cup: Runner-up
1993 Artemio Franchi Trophy: Winner
[edit] Individual honours
1979 Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup
1979, 1980, 1981 Argentine league Top Scorer
1979–1981, 1986 Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year
1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992 South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas)
1986 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year
1986 Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup
1986–1987 Best Footballer in the World (Once)
1986 World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine)
1996 Golden Ball for services to football (France Football)
1999 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century
2000 "FIFA best football player of the century", people's choice.
2002 "FIFA Goal of the Century" (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal)
2005 Argentine Senate "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento" recognition for lifetime achievement.
[edit] Coaching career
1994 Mandiyú de Corrientes
1995 Racing Club de Avellaneda
Preceded by
Mario Kempes South American Footballer of the Year
1979, 1980 Succeeded by
Zico
Preceded by
Michel Platini World Soccer Player of the Year
1986 Succeeded by
Ruud Gullit
Preceded by
Paolo Rossi FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
1986 Succeeded by
Salvatore Schillaci
Preceded by
Dino Zoff
(Italy) FIFA World Cup
winning captain
1986 Succeeded by
Lothar Matthäus
(West Germany)
Preceded by
Preben Elkjær FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball
1990 Succeeded by
Hristo Stoichkov
Preceded by
Steve Cram United Press International
Athlete of the Year
1986 Succeeded by
Ben Johnson
[edit] Trivia
His maternal great-grandfather Mateo Kariolić was born in Korčula, Dalmatia, today's Croatia (possibly then in the Austrian Empire), and emigrated to Argentina, where Maradona's grandmother Salvadora was born [citation needed]. Salvadora named her daughter Dalma after the Croatian region, after whom Maradona named his eldest daughter.
Argentine singer Rodrigo Bueno wrote La mano de Dios ("The Hand of God"), dedicated to Diego Maradona. Maradona mentioned Rodrigo in his autobiography, and covered the song himself in this 2005 TV show (changing the lyrics from third person to first).
Franz Beckenbauer:
Franz Beckenbauer was born in Munich as the second son of Antonie Beckenbauer and started his playing football at the age of 9 with the youth team of SC Munich '06 in 1954.
He joined the Bayern Munich youth team in 1959 at the age of fourteen.
He was a genius defender, and played an essential role to Bayern Munich, to go to the higher division.
This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
[edit] Club career
He made his debut with Bayern in the Regionalliga Süd (Regional League South) on the left wing against FC St. Pauli on 6th June 1964. In only his first season in the regional league, 1964/65, the team won promotion to the Bundesliga.
Bayern soon became a force in the new German league, winning the German Cup in 1966-67 and achieving European success in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1967. Beckenbauer became team captain for the 1968-69 season and led his club to their first league title. He began experimenting with the sweeper ("libero") role around this time, refining the role into a new form and becoming perhaps the greatest exponent of the attacking sweeper game.
1977 Cosmos JerseyDuring Beckenbauer's tenure at Bayern Munich, the club won three league championships in a row from 1972 to 1974 and also an astonishing hat-trick of European Cup wins (1974-76) which earned the club the honour of keeping the trophy permanently.
In 1977 Beckenbauer accepted a lucrative contract to play in the North American Soccer League with the New York Cosmos. He played with the Cosmos for four seasons up to 1980, and the team won the Soccer Bowl on three occasions (77, 78, 80).
Beckenbauer retired after a two-year spell with Hamburger SV in Germany (1980-82) with the win of the Bundesliga title that year and one final season with the New York Cosmos in 1983. In his career in domestic leagues, he made 424 appearances and scored 44 goals.
[edit] National team
Beckenbauer won 103 caps and scored 14 goals for West Germany. He was a member of the World Cup squads that finished runners-up in 1966, third place in 1970, and champions in 1974. Beckenbauer's first game for the national team came on September 26, 1965.
[edit] 1966 World Cup
Beckenbauer appeared in his first World Cup in 1966, playing every match. In his first ever World Cup match, against Switzerland, he scored twice on a 5-0 win. West Germany won its group, and then beat Uruguay 4-0 in quarterfinals, with Beckenbauer scoring the second goal at the 70th minute. In semifinals, the Germans faced the Soviet Union. Helmut Haller opened the score, and then Beckenbauer scored the 2-0, his fourth goal of the tournament. The Soviets scored a late goal but were unable to equalize, and West Germany advanced to the final against hosts England. The English won the match and the Jules Rimet Trophy on extra time. The Germans fell short of the title, but Beckenbauer had a notable tournament, finishing tied for third on the list of top scorers – from a non-attacking position.
[edit] 1970 World Cup
West Germany won its first three matches before facing England in second round on a rematch of the 1966 final. The English were ahead 2-0 in the second half, but a spectacular goal by Beckenbauer in the 69th minute helped the Germans recover and equalize before the end of regulation, and win the match on extra time. West Germany advanced to the semi-finals to face Italy, in what would be known as the Game of the Century. Despite getting his clavicle fractured after being fouled, he was not deterred from continuing the match, as his side had already used up their maximum two substitutions. He remarkably stayed on the field carrying his dislocated arm in a sling. The result of this match was 4-3 (after extra time) in favour of the Italians. Germany defeated Uruguay 1-0 for third place.
[edit] 1974 World Cup
The 1974 World Cup was hosted by West Germany and Beckenbauer led his side to victory, including a 2-1 win over the hotly favoured Netherlands side featuring Johan Cruyff. Beckenbauer became the first captain to lift the brand new FIFA World Cup Trophy after Brazil had retained the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1970. This also gave West Germany the distinction of being the only national team at the time to hold both the Euro and World Cup titles simultaneously; France also accomplished this feat in 2000.
[edit] European Championships
Beckenbauer became captain of the national side in 1971. In 1972 West Germany won the European Championship, beating the Soviet Union 3-0 in the final. In 1976, West Germany lost the European Championship in the final.
[edit] Managerial career
On his return to Germany, Beckenbauer was appointed manager of the West Germany national team to replace Jupp Derwall. He took the team all the way to the final of the 1986 World Cup, where they lost to Argentina.
In 1990, before the German reunification, Beckenbauer managed the last Germany team without East German players in a World Cup, winning the final 1-0, against Argentina, in a rematch of the previous World Cup final. Beckenbauer is one of two men (with Mario Zagallo) to have won the Cup as player and as coach, and he is the only man to have won the title as team captain as well as coach.
Beckenbauer then moved into club management, and accepted a job with Olympique Marseille in 1990 but left them the following year.
From 28 December 1993 until 30 June 1994, and then from 29 April 1996 until 30 June of the same year, he coached Bayern Munich. His brief spells in charge saw him collect two further honours - the Bundesliga title in 1994 and the UEFA Cup in 1996.
In 1994 he had taken on the role of club president at Bayern, and much of the Munich giants' success in the following years has been credited to his astute management. Following the club's decision to change from an association to a limited company, he has been chairman of the advisory board since the beginning of 2002.
In 1998 he became vice-president of the DFB. At the end of the 1990s, Beckenbauer headed the successful bid by Germany to organize the FIFA World Cup 2006. He chaired the organizational committee for the World Cup and was a commentator for the Bild-Zeitung.
[edit] Trivia
[edit] Nickname Der Kaiser
Since 1968 Beckenbauer is called Kaiser by the fans and the media. Mostly the following anecdote is told (also by Beckenbauer himself) to explain the origin: On the occasion of a friendly game of Bayern Munich in Vienna, Beckenbauer posed for a photo session right beside a bust of the former Austrian emperor Francis II. The media called him Fußball-Kaiser (football-emperor) afterwards, and soon he was called just Kaiser.
According to a report [2] in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag this explanation is untrue, though very popular. According to the report, Beckenbauer fouled his opposite number, Reinhard Libuda from Schalke 04, in the cup finale on the 14th of June 1969. Disregarding the fans of Schalke hooting, Beckenbauer took the ball into the opposite part of the field, where he balanced the ball in front of the upset fans of Schalke for half a minute. Libuda was commonly called König von Westfalen (king of Westphalia), so the press looked for an even more exalted moniker and invented the Kaiser.
[edit] Other trivia notes
Beckenbauer's digital image was reproduced for Adidas's José+10 football advertisement. The ad shows a young-looking Beckenbauer from the 1970s playing with contemporary players like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Kaká, Jermaine Defoe, Oliver Kahn, Michael Ballack, Juan Román Riquelme, Arjen Robben, Lukas Podolski, Raul Gonzalez, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Djibril Cissé. The ad shows Beckenbauer wearing the West German 1974 World Cup jersey which he wore number 5. This is the same jersey he is wearing when he was the first player to hoist the FIFA World Cup Trophy. The ad also digitally reproduces the image of French great Michel Platini.
He is featured in the game FIFA Street 2 as the player with the highest stats.
While playing with the youth team of SC Munich 1906 Beckenbauer was a supporter of the Bayern Munich city rival 1860 Munich and intended to join the club in 1958. But after a game with his youth team a player of 1860 Munich slapped him in his face. Upset about this he changed his plans and instead of joining the "Blues", which had been the more popular team at this time in Munich, Beckenbauer joined the "Reds".
After appearing in an ad for a big mobile phone company, Beckenbauer specifically requested the number 0176 / 666666 for his mobile phone. However, he soon was flooded with phone calls by men who thought it was a phone sex number (in German, "6" translates to "sechs", very close to the word sex).
When he was age 7, he saw the 1954 Switzerland World Cup final match, which Germany won and became world champion, and said to his mother: "I'll be the winner of that final match when I become an adult football player." He really became a champion of 1974 World Cup after 20 years.[3]
[edit] Honours
CLUB
Bayern Munich
Bundesliga - 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974
DFB Cup (German Cup) - 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971
European Champions Cup - 1974, 1975, 1976
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup - 1967
Intercontinental Cup - 1976
Hamburger SV
Bundesliga - 1982
New York Cosmos
NASL Championship - 1977, 1978, 1980
INTERNATIONAL
FIFA World Cup - 1974
EURO 72 - 1972
MANAGERIAL
FIFA World Cup - 1990
Bundesliga - 1994
UEFA Cup - 1996
Preceded by
Carlos Bilardo FIFA World Cup winning managers
1990 Succeeded by
Carlos Alberto Parreira
Preceded by
Nevio Scala UEFA Cup Winning Coach
1995-96 Succeeded by
Huub Stevens
Preceded by
Johan Cruyff European Footballer of the Year
1972 Succeeded by
Johan Cruyff
Preceded by
Oleg Blokhin European Footballer of the Year
1976 Succeeded by
Allan Simonsen
Preceded by
Chung Mong Joon 2006 FIFA World Cup Chief Organiser
2006 Succeeded by
Danny Jordaan
Preceded by
Carlos Alberto
(Brazil) FIFA World Cup
winning captain
1974 Succeeded by
Daniel Passarella
(Argentina)
[edit] Club career statistics
All-Time Club Performance Club Season Bundesliga DFB Cup European Competition Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Bayern
Munich 1965-66 33 4 0 0
1966-67 33 0 9 0
1967-68 28 4 7 1
1968-69 33 2 0 0
1969-70 34 6 2 0
1970-71 33 3 8 1
1971-72 34 6 7 0
1972-73 34 4 6 1
1973-74 33 1 10 1
1974-75 34 5 7 1
1975-76 33 3 9 0
Total 362 38 65 5
New York Cosmos 1977 21 5 - - - - 21 5
1978 33 10 - - - - 33 10
1979 18 1 - - - - 18 1
1980 33 5 - - - - 33 5
Total 105 21 - - - -
Hamburger SV 1980-81 18 0 0 0
1981-82 10 0 5 0
Total 28 0 5 0
New York Cosmos 1983 27 2 - - - - 27 2
Total 27 2
Combined Total 132 23
Career Totals 522 61 70 5 592 66
Early life
Born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho (born Joao Ramos do Bojang) and Celeste.[4] He was named after American inventor Thomas Edison,[5] and was originally nicknamed Dico by his family.[4][6][7] He did not receive the nickname "Pelé" until his school days, when it is claimed he was given it because of his pronunciation of the name of his favourite player, local Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé, which he misspoke "Pilé".[7] He originally disliked the nickname, being suspended from school for punching the classmate that coined it,[8] but the more he complained the more it stuck. In his autobiography, Pelé stated he had no idea what the name means, nor did his old friends.[4] Apart from the assertion that the name is derived from that of Bilé, the word has no known meaning, although it does resemble the Irish language word 'Peile', meaning football, and the Hebrew word פֶּלֶא, meaning "wonder".[9]
Growing up in poverty in Bauru, São Paulo, Pelé earned extra money by shining shoes at the Bauru Athletic Club on match days. Taught to play by his father, whose own professional football career with Atletico Mineiro ended prematurely due to a knee injury, he could not afford a proper football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with newspaper, tied with a string[4] or a grapefruit.[10]
His first team was called the "Shoeless Ones" formed by himself and other boys from the Sete de Setembro and Rubens Arruda street but, when they entered a local tournament organised by the mayor of Bauru that required footwear, they were no longer shoeless and were renamed Ameriquinha. They reached the final in BAC Stadium in front of thousands of spectators and won with Pelé ending up as the tournament top scorer.
In 1954, several members of the Ameriquinha team, including Pelé, were invited to join the Baquinho boy's team to be managed by former Brazilian international Waldemar de Brito, who played in the 1934 World Cup in Italy. For the first time, Pelé was paid to play football. The team won the 1954 Youth Championship organised by the newspapers Diario de Bauru and the São Paulo Sporting Gazette with Pelé scoring 148 goals in 33 games.
At 15 and a half, he joined the Santos FC junior team. He played for one season before joining the club
[edit] Club career
[edit] Santos
In 1956, de Brito took Pelé to Santos, an industrial and port city in the eastern state of São Paulo, to try out for professional club Santos Futebol Clube telling the directors at Santos that the 15-year-old would be "the greatest football player in the world."[11]
During his time at Santos, Pelé played alongside many gifted players, including Zito, Pepe and Coutinho; the latter partnered him in numerous one-two plays, attacks, and goals.
Pelé made his debut for Santos in 1956, scoring one goal in a 7-1 friendly victory over Corinthians. When the 1957 season started, Pelé was given a starting place in the first team and, at the age of just 16, became the top scorer in the league. Just ten months after signing professionally, the teenager was called up to the Brazil national team. After the World Cup in 1962, wealthy European clubs offered massive fees to sign the young player, but the government of Brazil declared Pelé an "official national treasure" to prevent him from being transferred out of the country.[12]
On November 19, 1969, Pelé scored his 1000th goal in all competitions. This was a highly anticipated moment in Brazil.[5] The goal, called popularly O Milésimo (The Thousandth), occurred in a match against Vasco da Gama, when Pelé scored a penalty kick, at the Maracanã Stadium.[5]
Pelé states that his most beautiful goal was scored at Rua Javari stadium on a Campeonato Paulista match against São Paulo rivals Juventus on August 2, 1959. As there is no video footage of this match, Pelé asked that a computer animation be made of this specific goal.[5] In March 1961, Pelé scored the gol de placa (goal worthy of a plaque), a goal against Fluminense at the Maracanã which was regarded as so spectacular that a plaque was commissioned with a dedication to the most beautiful goal in the history of the Maracanã.[13]
In 1967, the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos.[14]
In a Santos - Cruzeiro match, played in 1968, Pelé broke the leg of Procópio.[15]
[edit] New York Cosmos
After the 1972 season (his 17th with Santos), Pelé retired from Brazilian club football. Two years later, he signed with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League for the 1975 season. Though then past his prime, Pelé is credited with significantly increasing public awareness and interest in soccer in the United States. He led the Cosmos to the 1977 NASL championship, in his third and final season with the club.
On 1 October 1977, Pelé closed out his legendary career in front of a capacity crowd at Giants Stadium. In an exhibition match televised nationwide and worldwide, he played the first half with the Cosmos and the second half with his old team Santos.
This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
[edit] National team career
Pelé's first international match was a 2-1 victory against Argentina on July 7, 1957. In that match, he scored his first goal for Brazil, three months before his 17th birthday.
[edit] 1958 World Cup
His World Cup debut was against the USSR in the first round of the 1958 FIFA World Cup. He was the youngest player of that tournament, and at the time the youngest ever to play in the World Cup.[16] He scored his first World Cup goal against Wales in quarterfinals, the only goal of the match, to help Brazil advance to semifinals, while becoming the youngest ever World Cup goalscorer at 17 years and 239 days. Against France in the semifinal, Brazil was leading 2-1 at halftime, and then Pelé scored a hat-trick, becoming the youngest in World Cup history to do so.
On 19 June 1958 Pelé became the youngest player to play in a World Cup final match at 17 years and 249 days. He scored two goals in the final as Brazil beat Sweden 5-2. His first goal, a lob over a defender followed by a precise volley shot, was selected as one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup. When the match ended, he passed out on the field, and had to be attended by the medical staff.[5] He then recovered, and was visibly compelled by the victory, in tears as being congratulated by his teammates. He finished the tournament with six goals in four matches played, tied for second place, behind record-breaker Just Fontaine.
[edit] 1962 World Cup
In the first match of the 1962 World Cup, against Mexico, Pelé assisted the first goal and then scored the final goal to go up 2-0 after a run past four defenders.[17] He injured himself while attempting a long-range shot against Czechoslovakia.[5] This would keep him out of the rest of the tournament, and forced coach Aymoré Moreira to make his only lineup change of the tournament. The substitute was Amarildo, who had a good performance in the tournament; it was, however, Garrincha, who would take the leading role and carried Brazil to their second World Cup title.
[edit] 1966 World Cup
The 1966 tournament was remembered for its excessive physical play, and Pelé was one of the victims of such play. After becoming the first player ever to score in three World Cups, with a direct free kick against Bulgaria, he had to rest, due to tiredness,[18] for the match against Hungary, which Brazil lost 1-3. He then faced Portugal, and several violent tackles by the Portuguese defenders caused him to leave the match and the tournament. Brazil lost that match and were eliminated in the first round of the World Cup for the first time since 1934. After the tournament, Pelé declared that he did not wish to play in the World Cup again.[5]
[edit] 1970 World Cup
When Pelé was called to the national team in early 1969, he first refused, but then accepted and played in six World Cup qualifying matches, scoring six goals. The 1970 tournament in Mexico was to be Pelé's last.
The 1970 squad featured major changes in relation to the 1966 squad. Players like Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Djalma Santos, and Gilmar had already retired, but the team, with Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Gérson, Tostão, and Clodoaldo, is widely considered one of the greatest football teams ever.[19]
In the first match, against Czechoslovakia, Pelé scored the 2-1 after controlling Gerson's pass with his chest. Brazil won the match, 4-1. On the first half of the match against England, he nearly scored with a header that was spectacularly saved by Gordon Banks. On the second half, he assisted Jairzinho for the only goal of the match. Against Romania, he opened the score on a direct free kick goal, a strong strike with the outside of his right foot. Later on the match he scored again to put the score 3-1. Brazil won by a final score of 3-2. In quarterfinals against Peru, Brazil won 4-2, with Pelé assisting Tostão on his team's third goal. In the semi-finals, Brazil faced Uruguay for the first time since the 1950 World Cup final round match. Jairzinho put Brazil ahead 2-1, and Pelé assisted Rivelino for the 3-1. In that match, Pelé hit Uruguayan player Fontes with his elbow,[5] at the same time the latter was fouling Pelé.
Brazil played Italy in the final, with Pelé scoring the opener on a header over defender Tarcisio Burgnich. He then made assists on Jairzinho's and Carlos Alberto's goals, the latter one after an impressive collective play. Brazil won the match 4-1, keeping the Jules Rimet Trophy indefinitely. Burgnich, who marked Pelé during the match, was quoted saying "I told myself before the game, he's made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong".[20]
His last international match was on July 18, 1971 against Yugoslavia in Rio de Janeiro. His record with the Brazilian team was 67 wins, 14 draws, and 11 losses. Brazil never lost a match with both Pelé and Garrincha on the field.[21]
[edit] Honours
[edit] Santos
Official Tournaments
Campeonato Paulista champion in 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1973[22]
Torneio Rio-São Paulo champion in 1959, 1963 and 1964[23]
Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa (Taça de Prata) champion in 1968
Taça Brasil champion in 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965
Copa Libertadores champion in 1962 and 1963
Intercontinental Cup in 1962 and 1963
South-American Recopa in 1968
[edit] New York Cosmos
NASL champion in 1977
[edit] Brazil
World Cup champion in 1958, 1962, 1970
Roca Cup: 1957, 1963
Copa O'Higgins: 1959
Copa Atlântica: 1960
[edit] Other
He was voted Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999 for his Olympic successes.[24]
In December 2000, Pelé was named Footballer of the Century by FIFA. The award was intended to be based upon votes in a web poll, but after it became apparent that it favoured Diego Maradona, many observers complained that the Internet nature of the poll would have meant a skewed demographic of younger fans who would have seen Maradona play, but not Pelé. FIFA then appointed a "Family of Football" committee of soccer experts to decide the winner of the award. Maradona was instead awarded the title of FIFA Internet Player of the Century. Allegations that the Internet poll had been bombarded by Argentine fans still remain to this day.[25]
In the same year, Pelé received the Laureus World Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award from South African President Nelson Mandela.
[edit] Career Statistics
[edit] Goalscoring and appearance record
Pelé's goalscoring record is often reported as being 1281 goals in 1363 games.[26] This figure includes goals scored by Pelé in non-competitive club matches, for example, international tours Pelé completed with Santos and the New York Cosmos, and games Pelé played in for armed forces teams during his national service in Brazil.[27]
The tables below record every goal Pelé scored in major club competitions for Santos and the New York Cosmos. During much of Pelé's playing career in Brazil there was no national league championship. From 1960 onwards the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) were required to provide meritocratic entrants for the then-new Copa Libertadores, a South American international club competition broadly equivalent to the European Cup. To enable them to do this, the CBF organised two national competitions: the Taça de Prata and Taça Brasil. A national league championship, the Campeonato Brasileiro, was first played in 1971, alongside traditional state and interstate competitions such as the Campeonato Paulista and the Torneio Rio-São Paulo.
The number of league goals scored by Pelé is listed as 589 in 605 games. This number is the sum of the goals scored by Pelé in national league-based competitions: the Campeonato Paulista (SPS), Torneio Rio-São Paulo (RSPS), Taça de Prata and Campeonato Brasileiro. The Taça Brasil was a national competition organised on a knockout basis.
A dark grey cell in the table indicates that the relevant competition did not take place that year.
Club Season Domestic League Competitions Domestic League
Sub-total Domestic Cup International Club Competitions Other Club
Matches[28] GRAND
TOTAL
SPS[29] RSPS[29] T. de Prata Camp. Brasil.[29] T. Brasil Copa Libertadores Intercontinental Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Santos 1956 0* 0* 0* 0* 2* 2*[30] 2* 2*
1957 14+15* 19+17*[31] 9 5 38* 41* 29* 16* 67* 57*
1958 38 58 8 8 46 66 14* 14* 60* 80*
1959 32 45 7 6 39 51 4* 2* 40* 47* 83* 100*
1960 30 33 3 0 33 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 34* 26* 67* 59*
1961 26 47 7 8 33 55 5* 7 0 0 0 0 36* 48* 74* 110*
1962 26 37 0 0 26 37 5* 2* 4* 4* 2 5 13* 14* 50* 62*
1963 19 22 8 14 27 36 4* 8 4* 5* 1 2 16 16* 52* 67*
1964 21 34 4 3 25 37 6* 7 0* 0* 0 0 16* 13* 47* 57*
1965 30 49 7 5 37 54 4* 2* 7* 8 0 0 18* 33* 66* 97*
1966 14 13 0* 0* 14* 13* 5* 2* 0 0 0 0 19* 16* 38* 31*
1967 18 17 14* 9* 32* 26* 0 0 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 65* 56*
1968 21 17 17* 11* 38* 28* 0 0 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 73* 55*
1969 25 26 12* 12* 37* 38* 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 61* 57*
1970 15 7 13* 4* 28* 11* 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 54* 47*
1971 19 8 21 1 40 9 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 72* 29*
1972 20 9 16 5 36 14 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 74* 50*
1973 19 11 30 19 49 30 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 66* 52*
1974 10 1 17 9 27 10 0 0 0 0 ??? ??? 49* 19*
All 412 470 53 49 56* 36* 84 34 605* 589* 33 30 15 17[32] 3 7 ??? ??? 1120 1087
Club Season NASL Other[33] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
NY Cosmos 1975 9 5 14* 10* 23* 15*
1976 24 15 18* 11* 42* 26*
1977 31 17 11* 6* 42* 23*
All 64 37 43* 27* 107* 64*
A dark grey cell means that the relevant competition did not run in the relevant year
A "*" indicates this number was inferred from a Santos fixture list from rsssf.com and this list of games Pelé played.
[edit] Other records
Pelé is in third place on the list of all-time top goalscorers in international matches; in 92 appearances for the Brazilian team, he scored 77 goals. He is in fourth place behind Ronaldo, Gerd Müller, and Just Fontaine on the list of goalscorers in World Cup matches, with 12 goals. He was part of three World Cup winning teams, although he did not play in the 1962 final due to injury and did not receive a medal. Pelé is one of only four footballers to have achieved the feat of scoring in two different World Cup final matches, sharing that honor with Paul Breitner, Vava, and Zinedine Zidane.[34] He is one of five players to have scored twice from direct free kick in World Cups (The others are Rivelino, Teófilo Cubillas, Bernard Genghini, and David Beckham). He is one of only two players to have scored in four World Cups (the other being Uwe Seeler, who did it in the same four tournaments as Pelé).
It is often claimed that Pelé is the most prolific scorer in football history. According to FIFA, Pelé ended his career with a total of 1281 goals in 1363 matches.[26] However, many of these goals were scored in non-competitive club matches. For instance, if one counts non-competitive goals when compiling the total of goals scored by Gerd Müller, he would have a career total of 1455 goals in 1204 games.[35] As non-competitive games are rarely counted in player's statistics it is unknown how many players could have passed Pelé's mark, but 1281 goals is certainly one of the highest totals achieved by a professional footballer. If one looks only at competitive goals, then Pelé is the second highest scorer of all time behind Josef Bican.[36] Bican never attempted to draw attention to his record, and when questioned about this, he quipped "who'd have believed me if I said I'd scored five times as many goals as Pelé?"[37]
Although the Brazilian domestic league system provided every single starter from the 1958, 1962, and 1970 Brazil World Cup Champions,[38] perhaps leading one to the assumption that it was the world's strongest league during the years of Pelé's career, one also has to take into account the state nature of the league. At the time Santos mainly played against other teams from the São Paulo region, whereas the best players were spread around teams all across Brazil. For instance Garrincha, Jairzinho and Altair played in the Rio de Janeiro League, Tostão played in the Minas Gerais League, and of the players that actually competed in São Paulo, Carlos Alberto, Zito, Pepe and Gilmar actually played with Pele for Santos. As of 2006, teams from São Paulo state have won 14 of a possible 36 national league titles (see Titles by state).
[edit] After football
The most notable area of Pelé's life since football is his ambassadorial work for various bodies. In 1992, Pelé was appointed a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment. He was awarded Brazil's Gold Medal for outstanding services to the sport in 1995, Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso appointed him to the position of "Extraordinary Minister for Sport" and he was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. During this time he proposed legislation to reduce corruption in Brazilian football, which became known as the Pelé law. Pelé left his position in 2001 after he was accused of involvement in a bribery scandal.[39] In 1997 he was given an honorary British knighthood.
Pelé scouted for Premiership Football Team Fulham FC in 2002.[citation needed] He was chosen to do the draw for the qualification groups 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, in which what team would be selected onto what group.[40]
Pelé drew international media attention due to the imprisonment of his son Edson Cholbi Nascimento, an ex-goalkeeper of Santos Futebol Clube, who was arrested in an operation to dismantle a drug gang in southeastern Brazil. The younger Nascimento, then 35, was arrested along with about 50 other people after an eight-month investigation into a cocaine trafficking operation in the port city of Santos.[citation needed] Pelé has published several autobiographies, starred in documentary and semi-documentary films and composed various musical pieces, including the entire soundtrack for the film Pelé in 1977. He appeared, alongside other footballers of the 1960s and 1970s, Michael Caine, and Sylvester Stallone, in the 1981 film Escape to Victory, about an attempted escape from a World War II Nazi POW Camp. Pelé was one of the first black persons to be featured on the cover of Life magazine, and was the first sports figure featured in a video game with the Atari 2600 game Pelé's Soccer.
He is now reasonably well known for his role in promoting the impotence drug Viagra.[41] The wonderdrug famously helped Pele maintain mighty erections well into "extra time".
He is now represented by Prime Licensing, a company created by Jose Alves de Araujo to launch a line of products to compete with the biggest names in fashion.[citation needed]
[edit] Acting and film career
Os Estranhos (1969) (TV Series)
O Barão Otelo no Barato dos Bilhões (1971)
A Marcha (1973)
Os Trombadinhas (1978)
Victory (1981)
A Minor Miracle (1983)
Pedro Mico (1985)
Os Trapalhões e o Rei do Futebol (1986)
Hotshot (1987)
Solidão, Uma Linda História de Amor (1990)
Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)
ESPN SportsCentury (2004)
[edit] Personal life
Pelé has been married twice; first in 1966, to Rosemeri, with whom he had three children. This marriage ended in divorce in 1982. He married Assiria on April 30, 1994 and the couple have two children.
In addition to his children from two marriages, Pele has at least one other daughter, Sandra Regina Arantes do Nascimento (who died of breast cancer on October 17, 2006 at age 42).[8]
Maradona:
Maradona had a short, strong physique and could withstand physical pressure well. His strong legs and low center of gravity gave him an advantage in short sprints.[5] His physical strengths were illustrated by his two goals against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup. Maradona was a strategist and a team player, as well as highly technical with the ball. He could manage himself effectively in limited spaces, and would attract defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as in the second 1986 goal against England),[6] or give an assist to a free teammate. Being short, but strong, he could hold the ball long enough with a defender on his back to wait for a teammate making a run or to find a gap for a quick shot.
One of Maradona's trademark moves was dribbling full-speed as a left wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering lethally accurate passes to his teammates. Another trademark was the Rabona, a reverse-cross pass shot behind the leg that holds all the weight. This maneuver led to several assists, such as the powerful cross for Ramón Díaz's header in the 1980 friendly against Switzerland. He was also a dangerous free kick taker.
[edit] Early years
Diego Armando Maradona was born in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires,[7] to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province. He was the first son after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (el Turco) and Eduardo (Lalo), both of whom were also professional footballers.
At age 10, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires side Argentinos Juniors.[5] As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games.[8]
[edit] Club career
Maradona's Boca 1981 match-worn shirt. In his first season with his favorite team, he won the Argentine Apertura Metropolitan league.Maradona made his professional debut on October 20, 1976 ten days before his sixteenth birthday, with Argentinos Juniors.[3] He played there between 1976 and 1981, before his £1.0m transfer to the club that he supported, Boca Juniors. Joining the squad midway through the 1981 season, Maradona played through 1982, and secured his first league title.
After the 1982 World Cup, in June, Maradona was transferred to FC Barcelona in Spain for a then world record £5.0m.[3] In 1983, under coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey (Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real Madrid. However, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona.[9] first a bout with hepatitis An ill-timed tackle by Athletic Bilbao's Andoni Goikoetxea jeopardized his career,[3] but Maradona's physical strength and willpower made it possible for him to be back on the pitch after only 14 weeks. It is believed that it was while playing for Barcelona that Maradona was introduced to cocaine, to which he would become addicted.[10]
[edit] The Napoli era
Maradona got into frequent disputes with Barcelona's directors, especially club president Josep Lluís Nuñez. In 1984, he demanded a transfer out of Nou Camp. He subsequently went to Serie A and SSC Napoli for another record fee, £6.9m, and became an adored star among the club's fans, as he elevated the team to its most successful era. Napoli won their only Italian Championships (1986/87 and 1989/1990), a Coppa Italia (1987), a UEFA Cup (1989) and an Italian Supercup (1990). Napoli were also runners-up in the Italian Championship twice, in 1987/88 and 1988/89.
In Naples, Maradona was present for a transformation of the local club. They had traditionally been overshadowed by the teams from the industrial cities in the north, but Maradona's arrival (along with Careca and others) brought them a first scudetto in 1987.[3] A second followed in 1990, along with cup successes. However, Maradona also faced a scandal there regarding an illegitimate son; he was also the object of some suspicion over his friendship with the Camorra, the local mafia.
Maradona left Napoli in 1992, after serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug test for cocaine. He played for Sevilla FC (1992–93), Newell's Old Boys (1993) and Boca Juniors (1995–97).[3] He also attempted to work as a coach on two short stints, leading Mandiyú of Corrientes (1994) and Racing Club (1995), but without much success. He retired from football on October 30, 1997, his 37th birthday.
[edit] International career
Maradona and the Youth World Cup trophy in 1979.He debuted with the Argentina national football team ("la selección"), at age 16, against Hungary. At age 18, he played the Football World Youth Championship for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, shining in their 3–1 final win over the USSR team.
[edit] 1982 World Cup
Maradona played his first World Cup tournament in 1982. In the first round, Argentina, the defending champions, lost to Belgium. Although the team convincingly beat Hungary and El Salvador to progress to the second round, they were defeated in the second round by eventual winners Italy. Maradona played in all five matches without being substituted, scoring twice against Hungary, but was sent off with 5 minutes remaining in the game against Brazil for serious foul play.
[edit] 1986 World Cup
The Hand of God incident in the quarter-final against England (Peter Shilton also shown)Maradona captained the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, winning the final against West Germany. Throughout the 1986 World Cup, Maradona asserted his dominance and was the most dynamic player of the tournament. He played every minute of every game, scored 5 goals and made 5 assists. However, it was the two goals he scored in a 2-1 quarter-final win against England which cemented his legend.
Replays showed that the first goal was scored with the aid of his hand. Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." The play became known as the "Hand of God," or "la mano de Dios." Ultimately, on 22 August 2005 Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he hit the ball with his hand purposely, and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. He recalled thinking right after the goal that
“ I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came . . . I told them, 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'[11] ”
In contrast, Maradona's second goal was a technically pure display of Maradona's astonishing dribbling ability. He picked up the ball in his own half, swiveled around and ran more than half the length of the field, dribbling past five English players: (Glenn Hoddle, Peter Reid, Kenny Sansom, Terry Butcher, and Terry Fenwick) and goalkeeper Peter Shilton. This goal was voted the Goal of the Century in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA. In 2002, the two goals were ranked 6th in the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments by the UK's Channel 4 television channel.
Maradona followed this with two more goals in the semifinal against Belgium. In the final, the opposing German side attempted to contain him by double-marking, but he nevertheless found the space to give the final service to Jorge Burruchaga for the winning goal. Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 and Maradona lifted the World Cup trophy after dominating the tournament in an historic fashion.
He later admited to being a cheat with his 'Hand of God' goal but claimed his goal was nothing more than 'an instinctive reaction'.
[edit] 1990 World Cup
Maradona captained Argentina again in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. An ankle injury affected his overall performance, and he was much less dominant than four years earlier. Argentina were almost eliminated in the first round, only qualifying in third position from their group. In the round of 16 match against Brazil, a Maradona run from his own half set up the opportunity for Claudio Caniggia to score the game's only goal. Argentina then faced Yugoslavia in the quarterfinal round, the match ending 0-0 after 120 minutes, and Argentina advancing on penalty kicks, despite Maradona missing one of the penalties in the shootout. The semifinal against the host nation Italy was also resolved on penalties after a 1-1 draw; this time, Maradona was successful with his effort. In the final, Argentina lost 1-0 to West Germany, the only goal being a penalty by Andreas Brehme in the 85th minute after a controversial foul on Rudi Voller. Many thought that this was the beginning of the end of Maradona.[12]
[edit] 1994 World Cup
At the 1994 FIFA World Cup Maradona played in two games, scoring one goal against Greece, before being sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine doping. In his autobiography, Maradona argued that the test result was due to his personal trainer giving him the power drink Rip Fuel. His claim was that the U.S. version, unlike the Argentinian, contained the chemical and that, having run out of his Argentinian dosage, his trainer unwittingly bought the U.S. formula. FIFA subsequently expelled him from USA '94 and the Argentinians, affected by his absence, went home in the second round. Maradona has also separately claimed that he had an agreement with FIFA, on which the organization reneged, to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play. According to Maradona, this was so that the World Cup would not lose prestige because of his absence. This allegation was never proved, and many fans attribute his comment ("they cut off my legs") to his anger at being suspended.
[edit] Retirement and honours
In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego ("I am The Diego"), which became an instant bestseller[13] in his home country. Two years later, Maradona donated the Cuban royalties of his book to "the Cuban people and Fidel."[14]
Also in 2000, while Napoli was retiring the number 10 jersey in his honour, FIFA conducted a fan poll on the Internet, to determine the Player of the Century. Maradona, with 53.6% of the votes, was the clear winner. After Brazilian commentators claimed the voting was flawed (because a younger internet demographic would have seen Maradona play, but not Pelé), FIFA appointed a "Football Family" committee of football experts that voted to award Pelé the title. Maradona protested at the change in procedure, and declared he would not attend the ceremony if Pelé replaced him. Eventually, two awards were made, one to each of the pair. Maradona accepted his prize, but left the ceremony without waiting to see Pelé receive his accolade.[1]
In 2001, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) asked FIFA for authorization to retire the jersey number 10 for Maradona. FIFA did not grant the request, even though Argentine officials have maintained that FIFA hinted that it would.[15]
Maradona has won other fan polls, including a 2002 FIFA poll in which his second goal against England was chosen as the best goal ever scored in a World Cup; he also won the most votes in a poll to determine the All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors named the team's stadium after Maradona on December 26, 2003.
On 22 June 2005, it was announced that Maradona would return to Boca Juniors as a sports vice president in charge of managing the First Division roster (after a disappointing 2004–05 season, which coincided with Boca's centenary).[16] His contract began 1 August 2005, and one of his first recommendations proved to be very effective: he was the one who decided to hire Alfio Basile as the new coach. With Maradona fostering a close relationship with the players, Boca went on to win the 2005 Apertura title, the 2006 Clausura title, the 2005 Copa Sudamericana and the 2005 Recopa Sudamericana.
On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10 ("The Night of the no. 10"). His main guest on opening night was Pelé; the two had a friendly chat, showing no signs of past differences. In subsequent evenings, he led the ratings on all occasions but one. Most guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business, including Zidane, Ronaldo and Hernán Crespo, but also included interviews with other notable personalities such as Fidel Castro and Mike Tyson.
During 2006, Maradona remained aloof from day-to-day activities. He was seen mostly on game days, cheering the Boca from his private box in the Bombonera. On August 26, 2006, it was announced that Maradona was quitting his position in the club Boca Juniors because of disagreements with the AFA, who selected Basile to be the new coach of the Argentina National Football Team.[17]
The award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica is preparing a documentary about Maradona's life, entitled Maradona. The film is currently in post-production, and its release is anticipated in 2007. Italian-Australian actor Marco Leonardi has been confirmed to play the prolific footballer in the film.
In September 2006, Maradona, in his famous blue and white number 10, was the captain for Argentina in a three-day World Cup of Indoor Football tournament in Spain. Against Spain, Maradona set up the first goal for Argentina with a lob over the top of the defense for his teammate to head it home.
[edit] Personal agents
Jorge Cyterszpiller, a childhood friend, was Maradona's first agent. He set up Maradona Producciones but did not score any major successes with merchandising, as counterfeiters would quickly imitate any product that came on the market. On his advice, Maradona started charging for interviews, a move that generated some controversy.
After breaking up with Cyterszpiller, Maradona hooked up with Guillermo Coppola, a bank employee who had started representing players as a hobby and was already a major agent in the mid-1980s. Coppola oversaw the biggest contracts of Maradona's career, but also was involved in the drug scandals of the early 1990s. Maradona and Coppola parted ways acrimoniously, and they still refer to the end of their relations as an "open wound".
[edit] Personal life
Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on November 7, 1989 in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (b. 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (b. 1989). In his autobiography, Maradona admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.
Maradona and Villafañe divorced in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. They traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005[18] and were seen together on many other occasions, including the Argentina matches during 2006 FIFA World Cup.
During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of Diego Sinagra (b. Naples, 1986), as was claimed by the youth's mother Cristiana Sinagra. (The Italian courts had so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his paternity.) Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after tricking his way onto a golf course in Naples where Maradona was playing.[19]
[19]
After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theatre producer, and Dalma is seeking an acting career; she has expressed her desire to attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.[20][21]
[edit] Drug abuse and health situation
Maradona has had a series of health problems since retirement. Since the 1990s, Maradona has been battling a cocaine addiction, which included spells in Swiss and Cuban detox clinics. Between 2002 and 2005, Maradona spent most of his time in Cuba.
On April 18, 2004, doctors reported that Maradona had suffered a major heart attack following a cocaine overdose; he was admitted to intensive care in a Buenos Aires hospital. Scores of fans gathered around the clinic. Days after the heart attack, a nurse was caught taking photos of Maradona with a mobile phone and was promptly fired by the hospital managers.
After he showed improvement, Maradona was taken off the respirator on April 23 and remained in intensive care for several days before being discharged on April 29. He returned to Cuba in May.
Maradona has always had a tendency to put on weight, and suffered increasingly with obesity from the end of his playing career until undergoing gastric bypass surgery in a clinic in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia on March 6, 2005. When Maradona resumed public appearances shortly thereafter, he displayed a notably thinner figure.
[edit] Political views
Maradona with the Argentinian president Néstor KirchnerDuring the nineties, Diego Maradona supported the presidency of neoliberal Carlos Menem in Argentina. In more recent years, Maradona has shown more sympathy to left-wing ideologies. He became friends with Fidel Castro while in treatment in Cuba. He has a portrait of Castro tattooed on his left leg and one of Ernesto Che Guevara on his right arm.[22] He has declared his opposition to imperialism, notably during the 2005 Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina. There he protested George W. Bush's presence in Argentina, wearing a Stop Bush T-shirt and referring to Bush as "human garbage".[23]
[edit] Reputation
Ever since 1986, it is common for Argentines abroad to hear Maradona's name as a token of recognition, even in remote places.[9] In Argentina, Maradona is often talked about in terms reserved for legends. In the Argentine film El Hijo de la Novia ("The bride's son"), an actor who plays a fake Catholic priest says to a bar patron: "they idolized him and then crucified him". When scolded by a friend for taking the prank too far, the fake priest retorts: "But I was talking about Maradona".
In Buenos Aires, fans organized the "Church of Maradona." Maradona's 43rd birthday in 2003 marked the start of the Year 43 D.D. - "Después de Diego" or After Diego - for its founding 200 members. Tens of thousands more[24] have become members via the church's official web site.
Hounded for years by the press, Maradona even fired a compressed-air rifle against reporters who, so he claimed, invaded his privacy. This quote from former teammate Jorge Valdano summarizes the feelings of many:
“ He is someone many people want to emulate, a controversial figure, loved, hated, who stirs great upheaval, especially in Argentina... Stressing his personal life is a mistake. Maradona has no peers inside the pitch, but he has turned his life into a show, and is now living a personal ordeal that should not be imitated. [25] ”
Maradona still generates controversy in England. In 1988, he played in an invitational game at London's Wembley Stadium celebrating the centenary of the English Football League. Maradona was part of the 'Rest of the World XI' playing against the English League XI. Each time that Maradona touched the ball he was subject to angry chants and boos from the crowd. It was reported that he received threats while in England.
A columnist for the sports daily Olé welcomed Maradona's hosting a TV show in 2005, noting that "for the first time, he seems to have found his place in the world outside the football pitch".
A television commercial for Brazilian soft drink Guaraná Antarctica portrayed Maradona as a member of the Brazilian national football team, including wearing the yellow jersey and singing the Brazilian national anthem with Brazilian caps Kaká and Ronaldo. Later on in the commercial he wakes up realizing it was nightmare after having drank to much of the soft drink. This generated some controversy in the Argentinean media after its release (although the commercial was not supposed to air on the Argentine market, fans became aware of it through YouTube.
In May 2006, Maradona agreed to take part in UK's Soccer Aid (a program to raise money for Unicef). Maradona showed his skill with the ball and even scored a penalty.[26]
[edit] Career statistics
[edit] Club
His overall average of goals scored per match in domestic club competitions is 0.53.
[edit] International
34 goals in 91 appearances for Argentina (1977-1994)
Started in 21 consecutive matches for Argentina in four World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
Appeared a World Cup-record 16 times as captain of the national team.
Scored 8 goals and made 8 assists in 21 World Cup appearances, including 5 goals and 5 assists in 1986
Tied for second-highest goal-scorer from Argentina in World Cup finals (equaled Guillermo Stabile's mark in 1994; surpassed by Gabriel Batistuta in 1998)
[edit] Honours
[edit] Club honours
1981 Argentine league (Boca Juniors)
1983 Copa del Rey (FC Barcelona)
1987 Italian league (SSC Napoli)
1987 Italian Cup (SSC Napoli)
1988 Italian top-scorer (SSC Napoli)
1989 UEFA Cup (SSC Napoli)
1990 Italian league (SSC Napoli)
1991 Italian Super Cup (SSC Napoli)
[edit] International honours
1979 FIFA World Youth Championship: Winner
1986 FIFA World Cup: Winner
1990 FIFA World Cup: Runner-up
1993 Artemio Franchi Trophy: Winner
[edit] Individual honours
1979 Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup
1979, 1980, 1981 Argentine league Top Scorer
1979–1981, 1986 Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year
1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992 South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas)
1986 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year
1986 Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup
1986–1987 Best Footballer in the World (Once)
1986 World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine)
1996 Golden Ball for services to football (France Football)
1999 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century
2000 "FIFA best football player of the century", people's choice.
2002 "FIFA Goal of the Century" (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal)
2005 Argentine Senate "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento" recognition for lifetime achievement.
[edit] Coaching career
1994 Mandiyú de Corrientes
1995 Racing Club de Avellaneda
Preceded by
Mario Kempes South American Footballer of the Year
1979, 1980 Succeeded by
Zico
Preceded by
Michel Platini World Soccer Player of the Year
1986 Succeeded by
Ruud Gullit
Preceded by
Paolo Rossi FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
1986 Succeeded by
Salvatore Schillaci
Preceded by
Dino Zoff
(Italy) FIFA World Cup
winning captain
1986 Succeeded by
Lothar Matthäus
(West Germany)
Preceded by
Preben Elkjær FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball
1990 Succeeded by
Hristo Stoichkov
Preceded by
Steve Cram United Press International
Athlete of the Year
1986 Succeeded by
Ben Johnson
[edit] Trivia
His maternal great-grandfather Mateo Kariolić was born in Korčula, Dalmatia, today's Croatia (possibly then in the Austrian Empire), and emigrated to Argentina, where Maradona's grandmother Salvadora was born [citation needed]. Salvadora named her daughter Dalma after the Croatian region, after whom Maradona named his eldest daughter.
Argentine singer Rodrigo Bueno wrote La mano de Dios ("The Hand of God"), dedicated to Diego Maradona. Maradona mentioned Rodrigo in his autobiography, and covered the song himself in this 2005 TV show (changing the lyrics from third person to first).
Franz Beckenbauer:
Franz Beckenbauer was born in Munich as the second son of Antonie Beckenbauer and started his playing football at the age of 9 with the youth team of SC Munich '06 in 1954.
He joined the Bayern Munich youth team in 1959 at the age of fourteen.
He was a genius defender, and played an essential role to Bayern Munich, to go to the higher division.
This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
[edit] Club career
He made his debut with Bayern in the Regionalliga Süd (Regional League South) on the left wing against FC St. Pauli on 6th June 1964. In only his first season in the regional league, 1964/65, the team won promotion to the Bundesliga.
Bayern soon became a force in the new German league, winning the German Cup in 1966-67 and achieving European success in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1967. Beckenbauer became team captain for the 1968-69 season and led his club to their first league title. He began experimenting with the sweeper ("libero") role around this time, refining the role into a new form and becoming perhaps the greatest exponent of the attacking sweeper game.
1977 Cosmos JerseyDuring Beckenbauer's tenure at Bayern Munich, the club won three league championships in a row from 1972 to 1974 and also an astonishing hat-trick of European Cup wins (1974-76) which earned the club the honour of keeping the trophy permanently.
In 1977 Beckenbauer accepted a lucrative contract to play in the North American Soccer League with the New York Cosmos. He played with the Cosmos for four seasons up to 1980, and the team won the Soccer Bowl on three occasions (77, 78, 80).
Beckenbauer retired after a two-year spell with Hamburger SV in Germany (1980-82) with the win of the Bundesliga title that year and one final season with the New York Cosmos in 1983. In his career in domestic leagues, he made 424 appearances and scored 44 goals.
[edit] National team
Beckenbauer won 103 caps and scored 14 goals for West Germany. He was a member of the World Cup squads that finished runners-up in 1966, third place in 1970, and champions in 1974. Beckenbauer's first game for the national team came on September 26, 1965.
[edit] 1966 World Cup
Beckenbauer appeared in his first World Cup in 1966, playing every match. In his first ever World Cup match, against Switzerland, he scored twice on a 5-0 win. West Germany won its group, and then beat Uruguay 4-0 in quarterfinals, with Beckenbauer scoring the second goal at the 70th minute. In semifinals, the Germans faced the Soviet Union. Helmut Haller opened the score, and then Beckenbauer scored the 2-0, his fourth goal of the tournament. The Soviets scored a late goal but were unable to equalize, and West Germany advanced to the final against hosts England. The English won the match and the Jules Rimet Trophy on extra time. The Germans fell short of the title, but Beckenbauer had a notable tournament, finishing tied for third on the list of top scorers – from a non-attacking position.
[edit] 1970 World Cup
West Germany won its first three matches before facing England in second round on a rematch of the 1966 final. The English were ahead 2-0 in the second half, but a spectacular goal by Beckenbauer in the 69th minute helped the Germans recover and equalize before the end of regulation, and win the match on extra time. West Germany advanced to the semi-finals to face Italy, in what would be known as the Game of the Century. Despite getting his clavicle fractured after being fouled, he was not deterred from continuing the match, as his side had already used up their maximum two substitutions. He remarkably stayed on the field carrying his dislocated arm in a sling. The result of this match was 4-3 (after extra time) in favour of the Italians. Germany defeated Uruguay 1-0 for third place.
[edit] 1974 World Cup
The 1974 World Cup was hosted by West Germany and Beckenbauer led his side to victory, including a 2-1 win over the hotly favoured Netherlands side featuring Johan Cruyff. Beckenbauer became the first captain to lift the brand new FIFA World Cup Trophy after Brazil had retained the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1970. This also gave West Germany the distinction of being the only national team at the time to hold both the Euro and World Cup titles simultaneously; France also accomplished this feat in 2000.
[edit] European Championships
Beckenbauer became captain of the national side in 1971. In 1972 West Germany won the European Championship, beating the Soviet Union 3-0 in the final. In 1976, West Germany lost the European Championship in the final.
[edit] Managerial career
On his return to Germany, Beckenbauer was appointed manager of the West Germany national team to replace Jupp Derwall. He took the team all the way to the final of the 1986 World Cup, where they lost to Argentina.
In 1990, before the German reunification, Beckenbauer managed the last Germany team without East German players in a World Cup, winning the final 1-0, against Argentina, in a rematch of the previous World Cup final. Beckenbauer is one of two men (with Mario Zagallo) to have won the Cup as player and as coach, and he is the only man to have won the title as team captain as well as coach.
Beckenbauer then moved into club management, and accepted a job with Olympique Marseille in 1990 but left them the following year.
From 28 December 1993 until 30 June 1994, and then from 29 April 1996 until 30 June of the same year, he coached Bayern Munich. His brief spells in charge saw him collect two further honours - the Bundesliga title in 1994 and the UEFA Cup in 1996.
In 1994 he had taken on the role of club president at Bayern, and much of the Munich giants' success in the following years has been credited to his astute management. Following the club's decision to change from an association to a limited company, he has been chairman of the advisory board since the beginning of 2002.
In 1998 he became vice-president of the DFB. At the end of the 1990s, Beckenbauer headed the successful bid by Germany to organize the FIFA World Cup 2006. He chaired the organizational committee for the World Cup and was a commentator for the Bild-Zeitung.
[edit] Trivia
[edit] Nickname Der Kaiser
Since 1968 Beckenbauer is called Kaiser by the fans and the media. Mostly the following anecdote is told (also by Beckenbauer himself) to explain the origin: On the occasion of a friendly game of Bayern Munich in Vienna, Beckenbauer posed for a photo session right beside a bust of the former Austrian emperor Francis II. The media called him Fußball-Kaiser (football-emperor) afterwards, and soon he was called just Kaiser.
According to a report [2] in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag this explanation is untrue, though very popular. According to the report, Beckenbauer fouled his opposite number, Reinhard Libuda from Schalke 04, in the cup finale on the 14th of June 1969. Disregarding the fans of Schalke hooting, Beckenbauer took the ball into the opposite part of the field, where he balanced the ball in front of the upset fans of Schalke for half a minute. Libuda was commonly called König von Westfalen (king of Westphalia), so the press looked for an even more exalted moniker and invented the Kaiser.
[edit] Other trivia notes
Beckenbauer's digital image was reproduced for Adidas's José+10 football advertisement. The ad shows a young-looking Beckenbauer from the 1970s playing with contemporary players like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Kaká, Jermaine Defoe, Oliver Kahn, Michael Ballack, Juan Román Riquelme, Arjen Robben, Lukas Podolski, Raul Gonzalez, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Djibril Cissé. The ad shows Beckenbauer wearing the West German 1974 World Cup jersey which he wore number 5. This is the same jersey he is wearing when he was the first player to hoist the FIFA World Cup Trophy. The ad also digitally reproduces the image of French great Michel Platini.
He is featured in the game FIFA Street 2 as the player with the highest stats.
While playing with the youth team of SC Munich 1906 Beckenbauer was a supporter of the Bayern Munich city rival 1860 Munich and intended to join the club in 1958. But after a game with his youth team a player of 1860 Munich slapped him in his face. Upset about this he changed his plans and instead of joining the "Blues", which had been the more popular team at this time in Munich, Beckenbauer joined the "Reds".
After appearing in an ad for a big mobile phone company, Beckenbauer specifically requested the number 0176 / 666666 for his mobile phone. However, he soon was flooded with phone calls by men who thought it was a phone sex number (in German, "6" translates to "sechs", very close to the word sex).
When he was age 7, he saw the 1954 Switzerland World Cup final match, which Germany won and became world champion, and said to his mother: "I'll be the winner of that final match when I become an adult football player." He really became a champion of 1974 World Cup after 20 years.[3]
[edit] Honours
CLUB
Bayern Munich
Bundesliga - 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974
DFB Cup (German Cup) - 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971
European Champions Cup - 1974, 1975, 1976
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup - 1967
Intercontinental Cup - 1976
Hamburger SV
Bundesliga - 1982
New York Cosmos
NASL Championship - 1977, 1978, 1980
INTERNATIONAL
FIFA World Cup - 1974
EURO 72 - 1972
MANAGERIAL
FIFA World Cup - 1990
Bundesliga - 1994
UEFA Cup - 1996
Preceded by
Carlos Bilardo FIFA World Cup winning managers
1990 Succeeded by
Carlos Alberto Parreira
Preceded by
Nevio Scala UEFA Cup Winning Coach
1995-96 Succeeded by
Huub Stevens
Preceded by
Johan Cruyff European Footballer of the Year
1972 Succeeded by
Johan Cruyff
Preceded by
Oleg Blokhin European Footballer of the Year
1976 Succeeded by
Allan Simonsen
Preceded by
Chung Mong Joon 2006 FIFA World Cup Chief Organiser
2006 Succeeded by
Danny Jordaan
Preceded by
Carlos Alberto
(Brazil) FIFA World Cup
winning captain
1974 Succeeded by
Daniel Passarella
(Argentina)
[edit] Club career statistics
All-Time Club Performance Club Season Bundesliga DFB Cup European Competition Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Bayern
Munich 1965-66 33 4 0 0
1966-67 33 0 9 0
1967-68 28 4 7 1
1968-69 33 2 0 0
1969-70 34 6 2 0
1970-71 33 3 8 1
1971-72 34 6 7 0
1972-73 34 4 6 1
1973-74 33 1 10 1
1974-75 34 5 7 1
1975-76 33 3 9 0
Total 362 38 65 5
New York Cosmos 1977 21 5 - - - - 21 5
1978 33 10 - - - - 33 10
1979 18 1 - - - - 18 1
1980 33 5 - - - - 33 5
Total 105 21 - - - -
Hamburger SV 1980-81 18 0 0 0
1981-82 10 0 5 0
Total 28 0 5 0
New York Cosmos 1983 27 2 - - - - 27 2
Total 27 2
Combined Total 132 23
Career Totals 522 61 70 5 592 66
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