WORLD CUP SOCCER NOTES : Game’s Biggest Name Takes Snub in Stride
Pele may not have been a part of Sunday’s draw show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, but he was center stage earlier in the day at a media breakfast hosted by a World Cup sponsor.
The morning’s hot topic was Pele’s banishment from the draw festivities and, perhaps, future soccer events. The former Brazilian star had been expected to play a prominent role in the draw, but he was forbidden from participating by FIFA President Joao Havelange. Pele is embroiled in a lawsuit with the president of the Brazilian soccer federation, who is Havelange’s son-in-law.
A few hours before show time, Pele was still being asked if he was part of the draw.
“Havelange is the boss. He has the say, yes or no,” Pele said. “My life doesn’t change if I take the ball out (for the draw). Everyone knows me.
“Everyone knows I have nothing against Havelange. FIFA is my family. He signs my checks. (Pele is the chairman of FIFA’s Fair Play committee and is under contract through 1995.) This is a personal thing. I have a whole life to live after the World Cup. This is not the only chance to promote the event.”
Pele acknowledged that the controversy has overshadowed the event, saying, “It would be better if this would not be going on.”
Julio Mazzei, Pele’s manager agreed. “This is great television,” he said. “This is great for American newspapers. Americans like negative stories.”
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There was surprising news from the Dutch team. Johan Cruyff, the charismatic coach who was set to replace Dick Advocaat as national coach, will not.
The Dutch announced that the federation could not come to terms with Cruyff, a former national team player. Cruyff coaches for the powerful Spanish club, FC Barcelona, and reportedly asked the Dutch federation to pay him the same salary that he would receive at Barcelona.
Another point of friction was the national team’s contract with an Italian sportswear company that called for the coaches and players to wear that product exclusively. Cruyff has his own deal with another company.
Advocaat guided the Dutch through all of the qualifying, but knew he was to be replaced if the team made it to the World Cup. He said Sunday: “I am staying.”
This development could mean that Dutch star Ruud Gullit would not join the team for the finals. Gullit refused to play for Advocaat but said he would join the team if Cruyff was the coach.
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Pele, on the possibility of a U.S.-Brazil final: “After 15 years of waiting to bring the World Cup final to the United States, if God gives me the big souvenir, to put America and Brazil in the final, it would be a dream. We cannot dream too high.”
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Because the World Cup in the Los Angeles area is pretty much a Pasadena show, an idea floating around for an additional related event the week of the Cup final is likely to get strong backing from Los Angeles officials.
The idea is for an all-star soccer game, involving all the world-class stars except for those playing in the final game at the Rose Bowl, to be played at the Coliseum.
The idea, being pushed hard by World Cup ’94 consultant Michael Weisman, former executive director of NBC Sports, would bring together not only star players from World Cup teams, but also from teams throughout the world that did not qualify this time.
“One thing this idea would have a chance to do,” Weisman said, “would be to get a lot of tickets, maybe 30,000 or 40,000, to lots of kids who wouldn’t otherwise have any chance of seeing soccer of this caliber.”
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A two-day World Cup Expo gave each host city a chance to display its special nature.
Southern California had a shiny white Corvette convertible with a license plate that said: VISIT. Orlando had Mickey Mouse and a slogan that said: Go for the Magic. Boston called itself “The Gateway to America,” and Detroit, which introduced natural grass to the nearby Pontiac Silverdome especially for the World Cup, had as its motto: A Grass Roots Effort.
Dallas had a picture of Troy Aikman.
Times sports editor Bill Dwyre contributed to this story.
