© AFP “Pele is obviously infantile. He lacks the necessary fighting spirit. He is too young to feel aggression and respond with appropriate force. In addition to that, he does not possess the sense of responsibility necessary for a team game.”
So read a now-infamous report compiled by Brazil’s team psychologist, Dr Joao Carvalhaes, ahead of the 1958 FIFA World Cup™. His verdict was decisive and unambiguous: the 17-year-old should not feature. Nor, indeed, should Garrincha.
Football is, of course, forever grateful for what happened next, as Pele recounted in his autobiography. “Fortunately for me and Garrincha, [Brazil coach Vicente] Feola was always guided by his instincts rather than experts. He just nodded gravely at the psychologist, and said, ‘You may be right. The thing is, you don’t know anything about football. If Pele’s knee is ready, he plays.”
That knee, and the injury he had sustained in a pre-tournament practice match, proved an even more immediate danger to the youngster&#..
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