Legendary Pele takes another cheap shot at Maradona
Ever since Maradona won the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico and mesmerized everyone with his skills in the 1990 World Cup as well, debate has gone as to who the better player between the two is. Is it the legendary Brazilian Pele or the skillful Argentinean Maradona? The debate has not been limited to that as there have been a lot of remarks that are termed out of order.
Both of them have had plenty to say about which of them is the better player. There has also been plenty of talk over Maradona’s lifestyle and his character, ever since he failed a drug test during the 1994 FIFA World Cup and was sent home during the competition.
It didn’t help Maradona that this controversy was followed by his cocaine addiction news. His health condition over the past decade has therefore remained unsteady and his financial troubles have been nicely exposed by the media.
Pele has had a lot to say about Maradona. When the Argentinean took over as his country’s national coach Pele came out and said that Maradona has probably taken up the job to cover his medical expenses and that Argentina had not appointed the proper man for the job.
Pele also said that Maradona’s medical addiction generated from his cocaine addiction, which led him to bankruptcy. The management job according to Pele is only a way of earning more money for Maradona. Maradona on the other hand had a lot to say about Pele when the Argentinean was voted the best player of the century by fans through FIFA and so was Pele.
FIFA decided to request both of the players to share the award but Maradona refused. He said that the fans voted for him because they wanted him to win it therefore he was the player of the century and he was not going to share it with anyone.
Pele has also at times suggested the Maradona is not the best role model for kids or the players of his team because he has a bad history with regard to his drug addiction. Pele has even said that Maradona was not even the best player to come out of Argentina, never mind the world.
Maradona has not been far behind in his responses, his most outrageous reply to Pele’s jibes was his allegation that Pele was actually homosexual. He also blamed Pele for Garrincha’s death who was Pele’s team mate during his playing days. Maradona also said that Pele did not support South Africa’s hosting of the latest 2010 World Cup. Maradona went on to make one of his latest comebacks to Pele’s taunts before Argentina took on South Korea in the on-going FIFA World Cup of 2010. He said that Pele should go back to the museum and that Pele should stop talking rubbish about him.
Pele has been talking a lot as well in return. After Maradona’s comments were made public Pele jokingly remarked that Maradona talks too much about him and maybe it’s because he loved him.
Both of these greats have without a doubt tarnished their reputations by indulging in such petty arguments and sneers. Maradona and Pele were true greats in their times respectively, but their present conduct is just not good for the games image at all.
Football fans expect better behavior from their legends and rightly so. Kids look up to Pele and Maradona and these legends are supposed to be an inspiration to footballers present and future. How can anyone be inspired by these icons when they are accusing each other of being homosexual and not being good enough to manage a certain team?
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