Soccer great Pele in India on invitation from ISL franchise Atletico de Kolkata
Soccer great Pele arrived in Kolkata on Sunday, over four decades after his first visit as a member of the New York Cosmos, that played an exhibition match against Indian domestic giants Mohun Bagan.
The three-times World Cup winner is in India on an invitation from Indian Super League franchise, Atletico de Kolkata to witness the club’s first home match against Kerala Blasters on October 13.
Dressed in black suit, the Brazilian responded with “Thank you, Kolkata” and a wide smile as he waved at the waiting crowd that was chanting “Pele, Pele” as the football legend stepped out of the airport and got into a waiting SUV.
Pele’s previous visit was in 1977 when Cosmos played out a 2-2 draw against Mohun Bagan at the Eden Gardens.
Indian football icon Chuni Goswami, along with another former player Dipendu Biswas, received Pele at the hotel.
“In a lighter vein, I asked him, ‘can you play football?’ to which Pele humbly replied, ‘Not at all, I’m not very fit’,” Olympian Goswami told reporters. “I also asked him, how do you rate (Lionel) Messi? And he said, ‘He’s very close to Maradona and Pele.”
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