"Football has lost a great one, I - a unique friend" - Beckenbauer on Pele

The former defender of the German national team, Franz Beckenbauer, who is currently the honorary president of Bayern Munich, responded to the death of the legendary Brazilian player Pele.

Pele and Beckenbauer were teammates on the American Cosmos, which together became the 1977 US-Canada League (NASL) champions.

“Today, football lost the greatest man in its history, and I lost a unique friend. Pele, who was born in Tres Coraciones, loved three things: football, his family and all people. He played with the stars, but he always stayed down to earth.

I went to the USA in 1977 because I wanted to play in space. The period spent with him is one of the highlights of my career. We won the championship, and Pele called me his white brother. It was an incredible honor for me. Football will always be yours, my friend! You will stay forever. Thanks for your game,” wrote Beckenbauer on the social network.

Three-time world champion Pele died on December 29 at the age of 82. According to the official bulletin of the Albert Einstein Clinic, the cause of death was colon cancer and complications from it.

Pele, who played for the Brazilian Santos (1956-1947) and the New York Cosmos (1975-1977), became the world champion three times as part of the Brazilian national team - in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and is the only player in history to do so. Pele, with 1,279 goals scored during his career, is included in the Guinness Book of Records.