Football This article is more than 23 years oldPelé blames 'jealous' Maradona for gay slur
This article is more than 23 years oldPelé blames Maradona for spreading worldwide rumours that the Brazilian had a homosexual affair with a coach - and claims the reason was jealousy.
The spat between the world's two most famous footballers emerges in a new book to be published next week in Britain.
Pelé and Maradona both have autobiographies released this month. In Pelé: His Life and Times the great man dismisses the story that he had confessed to a gay affair with one of the coaches in charge of young players at his Brazilian club, Santos. Pelé claims Maradona was jealous of his status - and that led to him starting the rumour last year.
Pelé, who co-operated with English author Harry Harris, chose to leave the detailed explanation to his close friend Celso Grellet. But Grellet's version of events has been read and authorised by Pelé.
Grellet insists Pelé thought hard about a response at the time but did not want a direct confrontation with Maradona, who had serious drugs-related heart problems earlier this year.
Grellet explained: 'One day I was very surprised to receive a number of calls from journalists for my com ment because Maradona had said that Pelé had had a homosexual experience. It was never true but Pelé is a big man and he decided that he would not respond and create a big battle between himself and Maradona.
'Pelé is heavily involved in the anti-drugs campaign, particularly the abuse of drugs in sport, and Maradona was clearly an ill man. Pelé felt it was best not to respond because no one could possibly take Maradona seriously. There is no doubt from my point of view that Maradona has made ludicrous accusations, the one about Pelé's sexuality being just one of many, as a result of pure envy.
'Maradona was very jealous of Pelé and has been ever since Carlos Menem, the for mer Argentine president, invited Pelé to the country as his special guest because Pelé was his favourite player. It angered Maradona that the Argentine people might place Pelé above him.
'Pelé has a lot of respect for Maradona as a player but felt that he media should not give any credence to the comments of an ill man. It would have been too easy to have said bad things about Maradona in return, but Pelé would not do it ... for me it was a very sad episode because I have always thought that Maradona was the best footballer in the world after Pelé.'
The Pelé biography, published by Robson Books, is available on the web through sportal.com, while the Maradona autobiography, I am Diego is serialised on umbro.com. In it, Maradona lists his 100 favourite players and accords Pelé number one status - but his appreciation is spiked with criticism :
'As a player he had it all but didn't make the most of it to raise the status of football. I'd have liked to see him put himself forward as president of an association to defend players' rights - like I did. I'd like to have seen him look after Garrincha and not let him die in misery. I'd like to see him fight the rich and powerful that are damaging football.'
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