Trying again, to turn Pele into profits

The global mania over the World Cup is a reminder of the spasm of soccer interest in the United States prompted by the arrival of Pele with the New York Cosmos in 1975.

The global mania over the World Cup is a reminder of the spasm of soccer interest in the United States prompted by the arrival of Pele with the New York Cosmos in 1975. He was paid 7 million to unretire from Santos in Brazil to join a star-filled team that had the power to fill Giants Stadium.

His farewell address to 75,646 fans in the Meadowlands remains memorable for its most famous line, delivered with tears, 8220;Please say with me, three times: Love! Love! Love!8221;

Pele is 65 now, has homes in Manhattan and the Hamptons, and is still enormously recognisable. His worldwide appeal is similar to that of Muhammad Ali 8211; but without the religious and political controversies.

8220;Kids who never saw me play, kids 8 to 10 years old, in China, the US, Africa, they come to see Pele, ask for autographs,8221; he said. 8220;It8217;s a gift from God. People love me. People remember Pele the champion, as a winner.8221;

Now he will test whether they love him enough to buy him.

For the past year, Pele has been quietly associated with Prime Licensing, a company based in Rio de Janeiro that is bankrolled by a real estate magnate and devoted solely to the Pele brand.

The company was behind a deal with Puma last year to put out lines of Pele shoes and apparel. It was also behind a new autobiography and the creation of Pelestation 8211; The Legend in Action, a lavish exhibition in Berlin about Pele8217;s life that opened to coincide with the start of the World Cup.

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8220;In the past, many of the things he did were not professional; he was always trying to do something with friends, but it wasn8217;t good business for him,8221; says Paulo Ferreira, the chief operating officer of Prime Licensing.

In 50 years, Ferreira promises, 8220;Pele will be as popular as he is in 2006.8221;

To that end, Prime has signed Pele to what is essentially a 40-year deal. 8220;If everything goes well,8221; Pele said, 8220;I8217;ll stay with Prime for life.8221; Ferreira has grandiose plans for Pele. He said he is talking with a Hollywood studio about a film, and assessing real estate projects, like a soccer condominium development in Rio built around the Pele name.

There are also plans for soccer camps and a cellphone deal. Ferreira predicted that the global Pele business 8211; of which Pele will get an unspecified cut 8211; will take in 30 million next year and as much as 100 million in 2008. There is no way that his estimates could be verified.

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Ferreira believes that 29 years after Pele last played, he is still more marketable than current soccer stars like David Beckham or Ronaldinho. 8220;With Pele, we are working on evergreen properties,8221; he says. But Pele has had a checkered business history. He has trusted the wrong people and signed papers he should not have. One agent misused his money for dubious investments. His construction business failed.

Pele Sports and Marketing was wrecked by a financial scandal in 2001 when money it borrowed to finance a Unicef benefit match in Rio, which did not come off, was not repaid. Pele ordered an audit of the company, which he shuttered, and sued his partner for embezzling 4 million.

8220;Unfortunately, I trust people,8221; Pele said. 8220;That8217;s through all my life, and I have a big problem with partners.8221; He has found it easier to endorse products like MasterCard, which he has been with for 18 years. He has also worked for Nokia, Pepsi-Cola and Petrobras, a Brazilian oil company. 8220;I have no problems with endorsements,8221; he said. 8220;Just associates.8221;RICHARD SANDOMIR