Pelé, dead at 82, was the world’s greatest footballing hero — ever. But the great Brazilian, known to many as ‘The King’, was not free from political controversy.

Pele was fascinated when I asked for an interview.  He must have given thousands before mine, but this was different.  “You mean we’ll be talking directly on the Internet?” he gasped.  In 1997 that was not just a novelty, it was historic.   It was the first time any event had been internetted live.