Farewell to Pelé

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2023

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or ‘Pelé’ as he became known, is thought by most to have been the greatest footballer to grace this planet. He died on 29th December, aged 82. James Reynolds has been in Santos, Pelé’s adopted hometown. He was among the crowds on the streets at the funeral procession, as they celebrated this sporting legend’s life.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The dark is rising from the BBC World Service.
0:03.6	The powers of the dark are reaching out now steadily and stealthily all over this world.
0:09.9	Find out more at the end of this podcast.
0:17.5	Hello, I'm James Reynolds on the BBC World Service.
0:20.6	Welcome to BBC OS Conversations.
0:23.2	Farewell to Pele.
0:24.8	He transformed his sport, didn't he?
0:30.5	Inspired generations on and off the field.
0:33.7	He's even said to have halted for a short time a war in Africa.
0:37.6	Pele is the only football player to have won three World Cups.
0:41.6	And in the view of so many he was and he remains the greatest footballer to grace this planet.
0:49.2	When the match started, you are on your feet the moment he gets the ball.
0:54.5	It is catch me if you can.
1:08.2	For the past few days I've been in Santos, Pele's adopted hometown.
1:12.7	On the day of his funeral I was privileged to join thousands of people on the streets
1:18.5	as they all celebrated the long life of the closest thing the country has to royalty.
1:23.2	In typical Brazilian style.
1:30.4	Here comes the funeral procession.
1:34.7	The crowd on either side of this main avenue is half a dozen deep.
1:40.7	But if I were to be led off from the apartment building opposite,
1:44.4	there's a man holding a giant flag here with a picture of Pele.
1:48.4	As he waves the flag.
	...

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