Alfred Reindl met Pelé: "He came up to me and hugged me"
Created: 12/30/2022, 8:45 p.m
By: Stefan üpfer
Ball artists among themselves: Alfred Reindl with Pelé, whom he met at the 1990 World Cup in Turin.
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Pelé is dead. Ball artist Alfred Reindl had the pleasure of getting to know the Brazilian football legend.
Oberhausen
– It was Wednesday, July 4th, 1990, when Alfred Reindl met soccer legend Pelé for the first time.
The 58-year-old ball artist from Oberhausen was at the beginning of his career and he was allowed to show his skills at the World Cup semi-final match between Germany and England in the now demolished Stadio delle Alpi in Turin.
Pelé, who died last Thursday at the age of 82, was also at the stadium at the time.
Alfred Reindl met Pelé a second time
"He came up to me, hugged me and congratulated me on my performance," reports Reindl.
In 1997, the two met again at a world soccer gala in the Munich hotel "Bayerischer Hof".
He was a gentleman, serious, friendly and cosmopolitan.
Alfred Reindl on Pele
Reindl has fond memories of the Brazilian: "He was a gentleman, serious, friendly and cosmopolitan." Even if Pelé has the status of a football god for Reindl, for the Oberhausen native he is still only the second greatest footballer of all time behind Diego Maradona.
"Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I didn't see Pelé play anymore."
