The death of legend Pele brought back controversy and questions about the fact that the owner of the three World Cup crowns and a thousand goals did not go through a professional experience in any of the European clubs, despite the offers that showered him, in addition to the fact that the stadiums of the old continent were in his days a kiss, but rather a dream for all soccer players in Brazil.

A report published by the French TF1 channel revealed that Pele's football career (1956-1977) did not include any "European period" like most soccer stars in Brazil.

This was also one of the secrets and points of interest and controversy in the local and international media, adding that the player "No. 10 in the Seleção national team ignored Europe and its offers, money and temptations."

Pele's two-decade professional career began in 1956, when his coach Valdemar de Brito took him to the city of Santos, and there the chapters of a story of spherical creativity and immortal stardom began to take shape, which continued until 1974 when he moved to the American New York Cosmos Club, where he carried his colors in 64. match and ended his remarkable career.

Fertile spherical ground for Europe

Brazil is known as a fertile spherical land for Europe, and in an open world for the transfer of players, it made the transfer of Brazilian talents a natural matter, as a report issued by the International Football Observatory reveals that Brazilian soccer players are the most nationalities in the world to move to play in Europe.

On May 1, 2021, 1,287 Brazilian players were playing in the 145 European leagues included in the report, a number that reflects the great role Brazil plays in supplying football around the world with its players.

There are many examples of the great Brazilian players who professionalized in Europe and found the height of their football in its stadiums, such as the phenomenon Ronaldo, Romario, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Neymar, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, Cafu and many others who left their country of origin in search of glory and professionalism on the other side of the Atlantic.

But the best player in the history of the round witch did not play even one season in a European league, for several reasons revealed by the "TF1" report.

And "TF1" states that before the 1996-1997 season, European clubs had a limited quota of foreigners that could not be exceeded, and it was usually no more than 3 players, and before the mid-nineties revolution (Bosman Law), very few South American players left. Their patrols to migrate towards the old continent, and this may be one of the reasons why Pele did not play in Europe.

But this is not the only reason, as "the best soccer player of all time", the 20th century athlete according to the International Olympic Committee, and the only one who won 3 World Cups, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, is one of the few stars who refused to play in Europe.

Brazilian wealth to be preserved

Pele was often criticized for not playing at the best level on European soil and did not test his football talent in the old continent. Between his debut in Santos in 1956 and the end of his career in 1977, he left his country only for financial reasons in 1975 when he signed with New York. American Cosmos, where a million-dollar-a-year contract awaited him.

While Pele received several offers from European clubs, his club, Santos, did its best to block its progress with the aim of kidnapping him, such as Paris Saint-Germain in 1971, but he finally found himself faced with the inevitability of providing new material resources, and the Cosmos club offer was the solution because it was a very profitable contract. .

The "TF1" report adds that retaining Pele and opposing his departure from Brazil to Europe was not only a sporting decision issued by Santos, but political pressure was exerted from the highest hierarchy of power.

In 1961, fearing his departure, the then Brazilian president, Janio Quadros, wanted to enact a law that would make Pele a "national treasure" that could not be "exported."

My mom used to make beans well

In the end, the reasons that contributed to Pele's survival in Brazil are the belief that "a flower can only grow in a place where it finds someone to take care of it." Between 1959 and 1963, Pele rejected 3 tempting offers from Real Madrid, which included big stars - at the time. - The likes of Santiago Bernabeu, Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.

In 1968, he also rejected an offer from Manchester United, who was planning to include a brilliant duo, Pele and George Best, but his efforts failed.

In the book "Pele ... My Life as a Football Player" written by Brian Winter (2014), the legend provided some details of the reasons that prompted him to never leave his country.

He said, "Several major teams in Europe - including AC Milan and Real Madrid - have made offers for me over the years, but I never thought of playing seriously outside Brazil. I prefer my comfort above all else. I had my reasons. I loved the rice with beans that my mother used to make." I felt comfortable and happy in my own country, my mother and father lived a few meters away from me, the temperature was still 25 degrees Celsius and the beach was wonderful."

And in 2015, during an interview with the British newspaper “Daily Mirror”, Pele justified his choice to stay in Santos, that he had always advocated for the values ​​that he considered missing, and said, “In the past, football was full of love, and now it is just a job, there is no this love to play.” For a club or for a country, of course a footballer should earn a living. I had a lot of offers to play for Milan, Real Madrid or Manchester United, but Santos was playing well, I didn't want to leave.