ブラジル代表の現状、ペレ氏が見たら「悲しむ」　息子が語る

【サンパウロＡＦＰ＝時事】サッカー元ブラジル代表の故ペレ氏の息子のエジーニョ氏（５３）が、ＡＦＰのインタビューに応じ、もし父がブラジル代表の現状を見たら「悲しんでいただろう」と語った。（写真はサッカー元ブラジル代表の故ペレ氏〈左〉）
　ブラジル代表は２０２６年Ｗ杯北中米大会の南米予選で苦戦を強いられ、現在は本大会の自動出場権を獲得できるぎりぎりの６位につけている。
　チーム一番のスター選手であるネイマールも膝の靱帯（じんたい）断裂で長期離脱を余儀なくされている中、エジーニョ氏は「この危機的状況は今に始まったことではない。大きくて複雑な問題がいくつもある」と指摘。「われわれは衰退している。今も素晴らしい選手はいるが、昔はレベルの高い選手がもっといた」と述べ、「もし（ペレ氏が）今年もいたら、とても悲しんでいただろう」と話した。
　また、ペレ氏が現役生活の大半を過ごしたブラジルのクラブのサントスＦＣも、今年は創設１１１年目にして初の２部降格を経験する厳しい一年となった。
　自身もＧＫとしてサントスに数シーズン在籍したエジーニョ氏は「残念ながら驚きはない。このクラブを日頃から追いかけている人なら、このようなシナリオは予想できただろう。それが現実になっただけだ」と語った。
　２９日には、史上最高のサッカー選手とも呼ばれたペレ氏が８２歳で亡くなってから、ちょうど１年がたつ。「彼がいなくなってさびしい」。家族の心には大きな穴が空いたとエジーニョ氏は悲しむ。
　きょうだいの何人かは米国で暮らしているため、当日はオンラインで集まり、静かに一周忌を迎える予定だと明かした。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/12/26-17:08）

Pele would have been sad at the state of the current Brazilian national team, his son Edinho has told AFP in an interview days before the first anniversary of his death on Friday.
Brazil have struggled in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and presently occupy sixth place in the South American table, the last spot that affords direct qualification.
The Selecao have struggled without their biggest current star, Neymar, who is a long-term injury absentee after tearing knee ligaments.
This crisis didn't appear overnight, there are big and complex problems, said Edinho, 53, who is one of Pele's seven children.
We are experiencing a decline... we still have great players but in previous times we had more high-level players than we do today.
Edinho, who was raised by his mother as Pele and her separated shortly after they moved to New York when he signed for New York Cosmos in 1975 but grew closer to him in later life, added: There is no doubt, if (Pele) had been there this year, he would have been very sad.
Santos, the Brazilian club where Pele spent most of his career, are also going through a tough period after they were relegated to the second division for the first time in its 111-year history.
The club is wracked by financial problems and boardroom rifts.
Unfortunately this is no surprise. Anyone who has followed the daily life of the club could have anticipated such a scenario, and it has ended up happening, said Edinho, who was Santos' goalkeeper for several seasons.
The ceremonies to mark Friday's first anniversary of Pele's death from cancer at the age of 82 are expected to be low-key.
The six surviving children of the man widely considered the greatest footballer in history will hold a virtual meeting to mark the moment as several live in the United States, while a ceremony is scheduled to be held at the mausoleum in Santos that was opened to the public in May.
Edinho, whose life has been far from smooth serving time for money laundering and drug trafficking, said the loss of the charismatic man who scored 77 goals in 92 appearances for Brazil had left a huge hole in the family's life.
He was exceptional, we miss him a lot, Edinho said. He carried our country's name through football, which we are very proud of.