Pele and Banks slam Cristiano Ronaldo
Football legends Pele and Gordon Banks have said Cristiano Ronaldo is totally wrong to break his contract with Manchester United and move to Real Madrid
Former England goalkeeper Gordon Banks has accused Ronaldo of showing a lack of respect to Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
And Pele, in Britain to unveil a statue of Banks in Stoke today, said:
"When he finishes his contract, then he should be free to go wherever he wants to go."
Banks said he could not understand why Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals for United last season, would want to move away from Old Trafford to Real Madrid.
Earlier this week the FIFA president was asked about Ronaldo's current situation and he replied that players who are tied to long-term contracts were treated like slaves. Ronaldo later said he agreed with Blatter's comments.
Banks said he could not understand why Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals for United last season, would want to move away from Old Trafford.
"I can't understand why he said he felt he was being treated like a slave. If he has just signed a new contract then he should respect his manager and honour it. It's stupid," he said.
"I don't understand what the problem is. He plays for a team that has just won the European Cup and the Premier League. He plays for his country. What more does he want?
"It's like anything in life. If a businessman signs a contract then he has to honour it. It' s no different than a professional footballer."
Banks was speaking at a press conference ahead of a charity match in his honour today when a Banks XI will take on a Pele XI at Stoke's Britannia stadium.
The former England keeper pulled off arguably the best save in history from a Pele header at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The Brazilian legend also had his say on the slavery storm.
"You are a slave if you work without a contract or you don't get paid. When he finishes his contract, then he should be free to go wherever he wants to go," said Pele.
"Some players sign for Manchester United, they kiss the shirt and the day after they say they want to go to Barcelona."
Banks said he also believed foreign coaches are to blame for the current lack of promising England goalkeepers.
"Scott Carson was playing well but (Rafael) Benitez probably won't give him a game for Liverpool this season. A keeper needs to be playing regularly to play for England but we haven't got many doing that at the moment now," he said.
Banks pulled off arguably the greatest save in history when scooped the ball over the bar from a point-blank Pele header in England's 1-0 defeat against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup.
Pele still remembers the save 38 years on.
"From the moment I headed it, I was sure it had gone in," he said.
"After I headed the ball, I had already began to jump to celebrate the goal. Then I looked back and I couldn't believe it hadn't gone in.
"I have scored more than a thousand goals in my life and the thing people always talk to me about is the one I didn't score."
Banks also remembers the match fondly but put the save down to fortune rather than skill.
"As soon as I got my hand to it, I thought it was going in the top corner," he said.
"But after I'd landed on the hard floor, I looked up and saw the ball bounce behind the net and that's when I said: Banksy, you lucky prat."
Archbishop Desmond Tutu will fill the unaccustomed role of assistant manager for the Pele XI and the Brazilian said he was delighted the cleric had agreed to sit alongside him in the dugout.
Pele will unveil a statue of Banks after the match at the stadium. Matt Le Tissier and Ken Monkou are among the list of ex-professionals who will make up the Banks XI.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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