Video shows BRUTAL tackles Pele suffered before yellow and red cards

The only way to stop him! Footage shows the BRUTAL tackles Pele had to endure during his glittering career… with yellow and red cards only introduced in football towards the end of his career in 1970

• Pele was on the receiving end of some dreadful tackles during his playing career
• Yellow and red cards were only introduced in 1970, towards the end of his career
• Therefore, opponents got away with fouling Pele time and time again
• Footage has emerged of exactly how badly Pele was treated by defenders 

In the VAR era that we live in, footballers get protected on the pitch. If a player commits a bad tackle early on, they go straight into the book without a warning.

That hasn’t always been the case, though. In fact, yellow and red cards were not introduced until 1970, meaning players could commit crude fouls without worrying about being sent for an early shower. This led to players being targeted, and one man in particular got plenty of rough treatment – Pele.

Following the announcement of his death on Thursday, footage has been unearthed of the Brazilian icon being taken down time and time again by opposing players, and it doesn’t make for particularly pleasant viewing.

Pele was on the receiving end of some horrible tackles, including ones from behind (above)

The video starts with two ridiculous challenges from behind where the ball is hardly even in sight. In the current climate, these tackles would almost certainly have led to straight red cards being handed out.

There are also several incidents off the ball of opponents barging into Pele and knocking him to the floor. Once again, VAR would surely have intervened had it been around in those days.

At times, it is almost possible to forget what sport was being played such is the brutality of the tackling.

Multiple clips show Pele being rugby-tackled to the ground, including one where he is being pulled down by his shorts as he looks to move towards the penalty box.

Yet these challenges would have all gone unpunished for the majority of Pele’s career, making it something of a miracle that he still managed to achieve so much in the game.

Even Pele felt the effects of some of the knocks that he took, though, and his World Cup dream was ruined in 1966 by injury.

Pele was injured in the 1966 World Cup after numerous fouls, as Brazil crashed out in the group stages

Yellow and red cards were introduced for the 1970 World Cup, which Brazil went on to win

He scored in the opening game against Bulgaria, but took so many kicks during the match that he was ruled out of Brazil’s next fixture against Hungary.

He returned for Brazil’s final group match with Portugal, but took another blow and was a shadow of himself as Brazil failed to make it to the knockout rounds.

Four years later, he got his redemption. The 1970 World Cup in Mexico saw yellow and red cards finally brought into football, and Pele managed to stay healthy throughout the tournament.

Brazil’s legendary No 10 scored four goals in six matches, including one in the final against Italy, as the South American side played some of the finest football ever seen and Pele picked up his third World Cup trophy to cement himself as an all-time great.

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