Romania played against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup and the then world champions won 3-2. The legendary Pele died on Thursday at the age of 82, and Riche Reducanu, Mircea Lucescu, Lice Dumitru and Cornel Dinu spoke about their meeting with the so-called “King”.

Rika Reducanu: “He was joking, just like me. I stayed for service”

“I could play in Brazil. I was there in 1969, in Rio de Janeiro, when I became friends with Pele. Then we met in Guadalajara. For a long time I kept in touch with him, we also have photos together. He called me “Ricardo”.

I played against him twice, the first time I met him at Maracana, in a friendly, and in Mexico when he scored that goal for me. I told all the journalists: “I let him go because he is my friend.” Everyone said that I left Pele.

When I met him, I had a beer there in Rio, you wouldn’t even say it was Pele. You could say that there were people behind him, everyone knew him. I think that’s why he came to meet me, that he came. So that he could joke like I do. He came to the hotel, I woke up with the police in Rio. Someone came and told me that Pele wanted to meet me. I couldn’t believe it.

I stayed for cerveza (no beer). It has two liters, it is big. What can you say? He told me to stay there because it was theirs. I said I was going to Romania, but it’s far away, on the edge of the world. I come from here. I could stay and play” – River ReducanuAntena Sport reports.

Mircea Lucescu: “I have Pele’s T-shirt”

“There is something from Pele in Romania. I have his shirt. I haven’t even washed it since then, it still has grass marks on it. I was quite close to him in age. He had an extraordinary image, I looked at him like an alien.

In January 1970, six months before the last tour, I visited Brazil. And I lived in the “Plaza”, on the famous Copacabana, the same hotel where Brazilians also came for medical visits and examinations.

We stayed together for several days. Rică (nr. Răducanu) came out in front of them and took Pele in his arms, so that he squeezed him a little tighter. Then I talked to him, to them, which helped us, because I saw how they were. We used to be a little afraid of them. Then this fear disappeared, although they amazed us with their physical constitution. We are not used to seeing Brazilians so physically fit, even small ones with developed muscles.

I don’t remember if I spoke to him before the game (not about exchanging shirts) or if we happened to be next to each other on the grass. My shirt, the one I gave to Pele, I understand was put on display by FIFA at the football museum in Moscow at the 2018 World Cup. Probably, someone gave it as a gift” – Mircea Lucescuquoted by Gazeta Sporturilor.

Liță Dumitru: “Pele called me a ‘whore’ and then spat on me”

“From the 1st to the 90th minute, I saw Pele ahead. The first 30 minutes were hellish. It was a period when I was playing something other than the football I knew.

In every fight with him, I’m practically a kamikaze. I took the ball away from him, led the ball again, took the ball away from him again. After half an hour I saw that he was not invincible, and then I started playing what I knew.

He overtook me, rushed, it was clear that I couldn’t take the ball away from him, and then I brutally attacked him from behind with pincers, right at his feet. I got the yellow but I think I deserved the red.

I know that Angelo, born Angelo, gave each player a sheet before a match that listed the strengths and weaknesses of their direct opponent. On my sheet, Pele had only qualities and only one drawback: he can be caught on words and aggression. He stood up (not after that foul), called me “Bitch” and then spat on me” – Lita Dumitrureports Gazeta Sporturilor.

Cornel Dinu: “Consolation of Nature”

“He was bitter. He doesn’t berate you during a match, but when you upset him, he lets out a “damn”. I had real life experience with it. He was also very smart on the field, intelligent, we also met in person at Copacabana.

I had a moment with him when they were attacking, pressing, and he stepped on me from behind. After five or six minutes, I was returning with the ball to the flag, and the thought occurred to me to hit my heel to go further, to go around it, I did not move away from the “damned”. He lived the game, an undeniable ambassador of the game and Brazil.

He was a genius, I experienced that when I met him. In the second half, he went past Lice Dumitru’s marker, with his back to the goal, and I was convinced that he would have no chance, thanks to my capabilities, age and potential. I was sure I could slide it off and clear the ankles.

He brilliantly read the player with his back to him. The ball passed me, bounced, I went on the sled, and he went to our goal. The consolation of nature” – Cornel Deanin Orange Sport.

World Cup 1970 – Brazil vs. Romania 3-2

Brazil: Felix – Carlos Alberto, Brito, Fontana, Everaldo (Marco Antonio ’57) – Piazza, Clodoaldo (Edu ’73) – Jairzinho, Pele, Cajo – Tostao. coach: Mario Zagallo

Romania: Adamache (R. Răducanu ’20) – L. Sătmăreanu, N. Lupescu, C. Dinu, M. Mocanu – Liță Dumitru – Dembrovschi, R. Nunweiller, S. Neagu, M. Lucescu – Dumitrache (G. Tătaru ’71) . coach: Angelo Niculescu.

They scored: Pele ’19, ’67, Jairzinho ’22 / Dumitrache ’34, Dembrovskyi ’84.

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