Fans and former athletes were outraged by the absence of important names in Brazilian football at Pelé's funeral. Among the winners of the 1994 and 2002 World Cups and the members of the squad that played in the tournament in Qatar two months ago, only Mauro Silva, winner in the United States, attended.
Most of those absent, despite being sought for clarification, did not provide explanations. Ronaldo, Cafu, Roque Júnior and Bebeto, for example, said they couldn't attend because they were out of the country. Even from the professional squad of the Santos team, where Pelé played from 1956 to 1974, only ten attended. The association's website mentions 29 names in the professional squad.
Among the presidents of the main clubs in the country, only Julio Casares, from São Paulo, attended. Palmeiras sent a representative.
The greatest repercussions were caused by the disdain of former world champions and current national team players.
"The absence of these people at Pelé's wake says more about Brazilian football than about Pelé. Funerals are for the living, not for those who died. Their absence speaks about poverty of spirit, this smallness that football has become because of the athletes, the lack of culture. You have people who play and think little beyond their own belly button. By not recognizing Pelé's greatness, they show themselves small and incapable of placing themselves in the history of the sport", criticizes Katia Rubio, associate professor at School of Physical Education and Sport at USP (University of São Paulo).
Translated by Cassy Dias