In july's 442 magazine, articles about Brazil were overwhelming, with active Hulk and Firmino in addition to active 442 setting its sights on the 1970 World Cup and publishing the memories of champion Rivelino of the tournament. Compiled in full, here's Rivelino's admiration for Bailey and his assessment of the lineup at the time.
When we arrived in Mexico, I was the starter under Zagallo and our preparation for the game was incredible. We spent almost a month in Guanajuato getting used to the altitude there, as it was over 6500 feet. That tiring training method really works. If you look back at our game, you'll see that we were very adaptable and played even better in the second half.
The atmosphere in the stadium was good and we felt welcomed by the Mexican fans, who supported us after Mexico lost 4-1 to Italy in the quarter-finals. The local media even named my powerful shot – one of the hallmarks of my career. I was born with this ability. When I was playing with my brother when I was a kid, he always begged me, 'Don't shoot too hard!' 'Once, I accidentally kicked the ball in the face of a friend and he fainted. Mexican journalists later nicknamed it "Atomic Bomb Shot," a nickname that stayed with me until my last game as a footballer.
In Guanajuato, we lived in a huge castle with scorpions in it. Every night before going to bed, we looked around the room and under the bed to make sure there was nothing creepy. It's not like the luxury facilities that players now enjoy.
Then one day I teased our King Bailey. I bought a fake coral snake and knew he hated them so much. After the team's dinner, I sneaked into his room, hid it under the pillow, and went back to my room. I told my roommate (alternate goalkeeper) Antonio what I had done and he replied with concern, 'Oh my God, what if something happens to him?!' If something happened to Pele, I was dead, so I went back to his room — but he played guitar there. As soon as I left, he shouted, 'Ah!!!!! Luckily, the next day he was fine, laid back and easy going as usual.
I only called King Bailey, and I had never seen a king complain about anything. Sometimes this is frustrating. Please, does this guy never complain? If he, the best player ever on the planet, has no ego and privilege, what else can we complain about? Whether on and off the field, the Kings are our role model. Even if he knew he had amazing talent, he wouldn't ask for the ball because of it. He is a team player.
Fighting alongside Bailey is the easiest thing in the world. I'm sure no other player can do what he can on the pitch; God was very generous and gave him many qualities. If Alberto becomes our captain because of his attitude and behavior, then Bailey is technically our leader. He didn't need to talk much—he spoke with his feet.
Before each game, he would lie down and sleep for 15 minutes. At that time, we packed our equipment into the stadium in a big bag: boots, knee pads... All our equipment. Pele just put his ball on the bench in the dressing room, his head resting on the ball and his legs against the wall. Everyone whispered, "Let him rest there—no one can wake the king!" ”
Gerson was also a leader because of his incredible ability to read the game. Within five minutes, he understood what was going on and he would talk to me and the players around him about how we should position ourselves. (Supine Braces: Zhou Shuren Shu Zhou)