There are many weird transfers out there and we’ve featured a few of them already during this format. The passage of Abedi Pelé in 1860 is probably the prehistory of all curious transfers.
Pelé was a star in the mid-1990s. He won the Champions League in Munich with Olympique Marseille and was voted African (Site notre blog d’information)er of the Year three times in a row. In 1996, however, the aging Pelé surprisingly found himself at 1860 Munich.
How was the transfer
It is said that his adviser told Abedi Pele about an offer from Munich for his final years on the European stage. Unaware that at the time there was another club in addition to FC Bayern Munich playing in the first division, the Ghanaian signed a contract with the Lions. He would have been surprised when he was presented with the blue jersey and not the red one. At the latest, when we went to the training ground in Grünwalder and not Säbener Straße, the penny should have fallen
For the lions, who were only back in the Bundesliga for the third year, it was a real coup and, after the era of the golden 1960s, the first world star to settle in Grünwalder Straße . Munich newspapers, for example, ran the headlines “Great coup: now Pelé rushes for the lions”. Because his current club FC Torino were relegated, the Ghanaian world star was also available on a free transfer. This made the deal a supposed deal.
Pelé glamor
The transfer has raised high expectations among the lions and their entourage. It was hoped to have signed a world star who would bring the Munich team back to spheres which had not been reached in the last decades.
1860 President Karl-Heinz Wildmoser and trainer Werner Lorant dreamed of great success and a little more glamor at the Munich workers’ association. This sparked heated debates in the Munich fan scene. The lions wanted to remain a workers’ association and clearly distinguish themselves from their red neighbors on Säbener Strasse.
However, Pelé was a star, which was only illustrated by his high salary, but it was also due to his name. After Piotr Nowak, he was only the second star to earn more than a million marks with the lions. And Pele also had associations with the Brazilian, who was considered the best player of all time.
Abedi Pelé is not named after his Brazilian namesake, but is actually called Abedi Ayew. That name, in turn, should also be well known by now, after all Abedi’s sons Jordan and Andre Ayew play in the Premier League.
Difficulty of adjustment and sporty side of the agreement
The technically adept (Site notre bureau spécialisé)er was only able to live up to his glamor factor and demands to a limited extent in Munich. Especially in the first half of the series, he had major adjustment issues. For example, the ‘kicker’ wrote: “With Pelé, there was no connection with the other players. He demonstrated his ingenious technique in the dribble, which however failed without effect as the Munich race tracks were still unknown to him and he also lacked strength.
Pelé had his difficulties at first with the language, the culture and the beer gardens with the lions, which he actually didn’t want to go to at all. But it may also be because of his coach’s arrogance that Abedi Pelé took time to get used to. During Pele’s presentation, ‘Schleifer’ Werner Lorant said: « For me, he’s a completely normal player. He should be happy to be able to work with a coach like me. »
Eventually, however, the star settled down in Munich and was able to enjoy his time in the blue shirt. In an interview with ‘tz’ he said: « They are the best fans I have ever had on my various stations ».
Pelé made a total of 57 games in two years for the lions. However, the hoped-for momentum and greater offensive production did not materialize. He managed just two goals and seven assists in the two-year Bundesliga adventure. In his first season, he reached seventh place with 1860. In the second and final season, it was no longer enough for Europe. Instead, 1860 played all season to stay in place and finished just three points from relegation in 13th place.