Pelé died: “A comparison that makes no sense”, the definition of César Menotti on the differences with Diego Maradona

If a football personality has the highest authority to express an opinion (compare?) Pelé, who died this Thursday at the age of 82 in Brazil, and Maradona, this is César Luis Menotti. Not only for his career and for his football knowledge, but because he shared important moments with both: as a player he was Pelé’s teammate at Santos. And as DT he managed Diego in the cycle of the national team from 1977 to 1982 (including the consecration to the World Youth Cup in Japan in 1979) and also in Barcelona in the early 80s.

Two decades ago, in a column in Mística magazine, the 78 world champion DT explained why this “controversy” it didn’t make sense and expressed his admiration for both, highlighting their features.

“I do not allow comparisons between adults. Ask if Maradona was better than Pele or vice versa it is barbarism. It’s like we start arguing if Benedetti writes better than García Márquez, it doesn’t make sense. What I can say is that they were two wonderful players, one of the best that football history has produced. Pele may have been a player physically more gifted than Diego. Maradona he had more skill with the ball and chain. For this, speaking of that level, in which I I include Di Stéfano and Cruyff, it becomes very difficult to give a verdict. It would even seem arbitrary to do so. They also played at different times. Pele had less siege, played quieter while Diego has had to endure a much more hostile climate and fight against extra-football factors that are wearing us down.

Menotti adds: “Both played more than well and understood the game. They were capable of solving a game by doing exactly what needed to be done at that moment. They could win a game anytime by themselves and this made them different from the others. It can be said that Pelé had a more regular career and that Diego had a very high peak in his career with the World Cup in Mexico. We can also add that Negro was in the best company both at Santos and at the Brazilian team.”

And he concluded: “They are two such extraordinary players who have shown an exclusive level and almost supernatural. But they also made a commitment without ever shrinking and demonstrated an unparalleled level of solidarity, something I was able to enjoy as a teammate of Pele and as a coach of Maradona. Therefore, let’s not split waters, the two were pretty awesome Why must one be distinguished from the other?”.