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Pelé backs Sepp Blatter’s re-election as Fifa president for fifth term | Pelé backs Sepp Blatter’s re-election as Fifa president for fifth term |
(about 9 hours later) | |
Pelé has welcomed the re-election of Sepp Blatter as Fifa’s president, despite the crisis surrounding the organisation. Blatter secured a fifth term in charge at Fifa’s annual congress in Zurich last week after seeing off the challenge of Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein. The 79-year-old faced calls to step down after the FBI arrested 14 Fifa executives and officials over “rampant and systemic” corruption allegations. However, Pelé backed Blatter’s re-election and believes his experience made the Swiss the only choice for the post. | |
“I was in favour. It was necessary because it is better to have people with experience,” Pelé said Sunday after arriving in Havana see a charity match. “He’s a man who has been there for 25 years [with Fifa], you have to respect him, it was an election.” | |
Pelé is in Cuba where he will watch his former club New York Cosmos play the national team at the Pedro Marrero Stadium in Havana on Tuesday. The match, which will make Cosmos the first professional American sports team in 16 years to play in Cuba, has been organised to mark the thawing of relations between the two countries. | |
The Brazilian club Mogi Mirim, who have the former Brazil and Barcelona star Rivaldo as president, have fired Pelé’s son Edinho as coach. The 44-year-old leaves the second division side just four matches into the league season. | |
Before joining Mogi Mirim, Edinho was one of the assistant coaches for Santos, the club where his father thrived in the 1960s. He briefly played for the club as a goalkeeper in the 1990s. | Before joining Mogi Mirim, Edinho was one of the assistant coaches for Santos, the club where his father thrived in the 1960s. He briefly played for the club as a goalkeeper in the 1990s. |
Edinho recently made headlines after being convicted in a money laundering case that involved a drugs gang. He is appealing a 33-year prison sentence. | |
Related: Fifa crisis: Danny Jordaan denies South Africa paid $10m bribe for 2010 World Cup |