We called him Rei because Pelé was the king, but he never acted that way | Léo Júnior

The former Brazil international came to know Pelé the man, his patience and humility: ‘He was warm, close’

Pelé called me his idol once. That was the day I played with him, the only time I did, and it was my most emotional moment with him. It was a benefit match at the Maracanã in April 1979, with 140,000 people there after flooding in Minas Gerais. Flamengo against Atlético Mineiro. “My idol!” he called me; that was him, that was his humour, his character, always embracing you. He played with us – Zico and I were in the Flamengo team – and playing with him was like a dream, especially when I played him a pass. I mean, caramba, I gave the ball to Pelé!

Pelé was the greatest for everyone from our generation. It’s hard to express what he meant to us. He had been the best for me from an early age, and thinking of him always brings to mind my grandmother. Santos used to play their big games at the Maracanã rather than in São Paulo: games against teams such as Garrincha’s Botafogo, or Milan.