Master lion Fredi Heiss lost three times against Pelé: "He was able to do what you dreamed of as a player"

Created: 12/30/2022 13:36

By: Moritz Bletzinger

The 19-year-old Pelé in the changing room of the Grünwalder Stadion: Fredi Heiss (r.) not only lost that day against the Brazilian striker of the century.

© Imago/Otto Krschak/Lackovic

Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, nobody can match Pelé, says Fredi Heiss.

The 1860s icon recalls an incomparable footballer, one praise and three losses.

Munich – "The man whom Pelé praised": A sentence from the striker of the century has accompanied Fredi Heiss for 55 years.

The Brazilian soccer icon has passed away.

The champion lion remembers an incomparable footballer who was not only an inspiration for him.

He played against Pelé three times and lost three times.

A conversation about possibly the best attacker of all time, a 1:9 lesson in the Grünwalder Stadium and hours of singing on the plane.

Mr. Heiss, Pelé once praised you as the best German player.

How do you remember him?

He was always the best.

Pelé was the player who has accompanied us for decades.

He has achieved everything a footballer can achieve and he deserves all that.

He was talented and personable, everything was right with Pelé.

You have also experienced him personally several times...

Yes, I was lucky enough to play him three times.

Once in the Grünwalder Stadium, once in the Maracanã and once in Hamburg.

I lost all three games.

The 1:9 bankruptcy with TSV 1860 Munich against FC Santos is still remembered as a lesson for many lions.

Were the Brazilians really that good?

Winning against Santos' side was impossible.

They had a number of good players and then there was Pelé.

They really did magic.

However, we also came back from a US tour completely exhausted at the time, otherwise it might not have become quite so clear.

Pelé stood out among the stars.

What made him so special?

In 1860 we were invited to Garrincha's farewell game in Rio, where we were able to watch the Brazilians training.

You could see that Pelé has no weaknesses at all.

He was two-footed and had great shooting technique.

He was also strong in combination play.

For me the perfect footballer.

The best footballer of all time?

Messi, Ronaldo and Maradona are or were brilliant.

But you have to put the Pelé over it.

Because he really could do anything.

He could do what a player dreams of being able to do.

But it was only granted to him.

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What do you mean?

He scored incredible goals.

Feint, bicycle kick, everything was there.

His technique and creativity were incredible.

Pelé could play left or right, he was good everywhere.

For example, Messi doesn't do that much with his right foot.

Mbappé is also on his way to becoming great, but he can't match Pelé.

In 1967 the lions lost to FC Santos around Pelé (here with an overhead kick) in the Grünwalder Stadion: after leading 4:2, 1860 lost 4:5.

© Imago/WEREK

Did you know back then that Pelé could be one of the best of all time?

Yes, what he did at the World Cup in Sweden as a 17-year-old was phenomenal.

My role model was Uwe Seeler, but seeing Pelé always spurred me on.

He was an inspiration to many.

And a superstar?

Pelé was a popular man in Brazil and celebrated by the ranks.

You can't imagine what it's like when 100,000 Brazilians make noise in the Maracanã.

It's like a hurricane, your knees tremble as an opponent.

What is your fondest memory of Pelé off the pitch?

We never talked, the language would have made that impossible.

But I remember the flight back after the Rio game.

We were on the same flight because his team went to the European tour.

The Brazilians sang for hours on the plane.

Pelé praised you in 1967 as the best German player.

Also a nice memory?

I guess I made a good international match there (laughs).

It's very nice that he praised me.

All praise can only be returned to him, everyone agrees.

The interview was conducted by Moritz Bletzinger.