CELEBRITY
JOURNALIST’S GRAND SON, FORMER TEAMMATE, GERSON KICK AGAINST RENAMING MARACANA AFTER PELÉ
The family of former Brazilian journalist, Mario Filho, after whom the iconic Maracana stadium is named, has kicked against the proposal to rename the stadium after the legendary Pele.
Although the arena is popularly called the Maracana Stadium, after the area in Rio de Janeiro where it is situated, its official name is Mario Filho Stadium, named after the journalist who had been a strong advocate for the construction of the arena that was believed to have the largest crowd capacity in the world.
Mário Filho died in 1966 at the age of 58 due to a heart attack, leaving behind his wife Célia (whom he had met on the beach of Copacabana).
In his honor, the old Municipal Stadium, Maracana was named Journalist Mário Filho Stadium.
Sports Village Square gathered that the Rio State Legislature gave the green light and this week Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro is set to make a final decision on changing the name to “Edson Arantes do Nascimento – Rei Pelé.”
This would include the star’s given name and also his affectionate nickname “King Pelé.” Built for the 1950 FIFA World Cup when over 200,000 attended the final match, it hosted matches in the 2014 World Cup and was also the setting for Brazil’s dramatic victory in the 2016 men’s Olympic football final and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Games.
Filho’s grandson Mario Neto, Sports Village Square gathered, complained that there had been no consultation before the decision to rename the stadium was taken.
He told Jornal o Globo newspaper: “That news impacted me. I was upset. They don’t know anything about Mario Filho.
“There are deputies there who, if asked about who my grandfather was, would not know how to answer.”
Pelé, who turned 80 last October, famously scored the 1000th goal of his career at the Maracana in 1969 whilst playing for his club side Santos and made his final appearance for Brazil in the same stadium 50 years ago.
Pelé’s former team mate Gerson had branded the name change “absurd” in comments on his YouTube channel.
“Why don’t people give his name to the Santos Stadium?” Gerson asked.
A stadium in Maceió, in the north eastern part of the country is already named “King Pelé” in tribute to Pelé’s final World Cup triumph in 1970.
If the Maracana’s change of name is approved, it will come only three months after a decision to rename the San Paolo Stadium in Napoli after the late Diego Maradona.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
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Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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