Pele’s jersey number 10 ‘retired’

KATHMANDU: Pele’s number 10 shirt has been’retired’ by Brazilian club Santos FC.

Santos FC has chosen to’retire’ Pele’s number 10 jersey till the the club plays second division football.

On Saturday, the club’s new president stated that no Santos players will wear the No. 10 shirt, which was famous globally by the late Pele, until they reach the second division.

Marcelo Teixeira, who was chosen as Santos FC new president on Saturday, stated that the choice was taken in honor of the club’s most famous player. Pele died of cancer at the age of 81 in 2022.

Until Santos FC returns to Serie A, which is our position. We shall not wear jersey number 10,” he stated.

Teixeira defeated four opponents and was re-elected president of Santos FC with 53% of the vote. He proposed that the number 10 jersey be retired in perpetuity. However, the three-time world champion has stated that he does not desire that.

Santosh has only experienced anxiety in the previous week after losing 2-1 to Fortaleza on Wednesday. As a result, Santos FC has been demoted from the top flight for the first time. That night, fans set fire to automobiles and buses. The next day, the Vila Belmiro stadium was vandalized.

Santos FC has been in debt lately, and is politically divided. Due to having to start the second division with a very small budget, it is also disappointing for the future. Brazilian football is rapidly becoming very competitive and expensive.

When Pele first joined Santos FC, the number 10 jersey had no special significance.

When Pele began to excel for club and the Brazilian national team, elite players from all over the world began to claim that number as their own.

Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, and Lionel Messi are among the players.