Better than Pele?

Jeferson da Conceição Gonçalves is definitely one of the best football players in Brazil. He is even compared to legendary Pele. During one interview Jefinho said he had seen images of Pelé but never watched videos of the legendary Brazilian soccer player in action. That is because he is blind. At the age of 7, he became totally blind because of an eye condition called glaucoma. “It’s an honour for me to be compared to an athlete like Pelé,” said Jefinho. Jefinho’s teammate Tiago da Silva said “In the era that Pelé played, he played really well, but if he puts the blindfold on, he’s not going to play well.” A fan said “He seems like he could actually see the ball and where the players are. He passes the ball just as if he was seeing everything.”

a)....................................

Jefinho has won Paralympic gold medal with Brazil’s soccer 5-a-side team. In soccer 5-a-side, each team competes with four blindfolded players and one goalie who is not visually impaired. The field is smaller than a traditional soccer pitch. There are walls surrounding it. The ball makes a noise each time it moves. Coaches give their players verbal commands. They also clank metal against the goalposts to indicate which way their players need to go. Because of this, spectators remain silent until a goal is scored. “He’s a unique player who has already been considered to be the best player in the world,” Fabio Vasconcelos, Brazil’s soccer 5-a-side coach, said of Jefinho. “I did not see Pelé play, but he was a phenomenal player. I don’t

know if you can compare both of them, but for me, Jefinho is a phenomenal soccer player.”

b)....................................

Others watching Jefinho play at Olympic Park also noted similarities in his playing style to globally famous superstars. People say that the way that Jefinho controls the ball can be compared to the way that Messi does. They both control it really close to their feet and out-dribbles his opponents.

c)....................................

Jefinho has younger fans as well. Every time they practice they have younger boys who want to be football players in the future. They all think that Jefinho is the greatest football player in Brazil. He is even recognised by the Brazilian public in the streets as a national star. “This shows that people see me in a different way,” Jefinho said. “To be a role model for other people, to follow a path in sports -- I feel very proud about myself to do a job that gives this example to other people.”