Aníbal Pérez, former defender of the national team and Spanish Valencia, played two games against Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pelé). He affirmed that for him he is indisputably the best in the world, even though there are other people who say otherwise.
“As a person he was extraordinary, on the field, faultless. For me he is the best, because of his attitude on the field, he was very healthy, he was one of the best footballers that ever existed, ”he said.
He recalled that in both games he came on as a substitute but could not speak to Pelé at all. He pointed out that he was a very kind person, with everyone, any foul he did, he raised the rival.
“He was a man on the field. It is difficult to take the death of him because he was a great player, ”he noted.
Pérez played for 11 years in Valencia, he was considered for two consecutive years as the best in his position. But at that time he did not pay what he pays now. He currently has his field with his animals, an oil store, a couple of trucks in the city of Itá.
He commented that in terms of characteristics, Carlos “Colorado” Gamarra was the one that most resembled him.
“He was a guy who jumped very well, he threw himself very well to the ground and made few fouls. I played many games in Valencia, there he played complete championships, plus the Spanish Cup and other tournaments, ”he concluded.
BIOGRAPHY
Aníbal Pérez was born in the Paraguayan city of Itá, located in the Central Department 35 km from Asunción. He was trained in football in the lower categories of Sportivo Iteño, until scouts from Olimpia de Asunción took him to the capital to play in the youth team. A tough and stocky defenseman, it only took him a year to arouse the interest of Cerro Porteño, one of the leading clubs in the South American country, for which reason in the summer of 1963, at just 19 years old, he was signed by the red-and-white club, just after having achieved the South American runner-up with the Uruguayan youth team. Starting with the Asunción club, he participates in the Copa Libertadores and little by little he is consolidating himself in the starting eleven. It took two seasons for Cerro Porteño to become champion again. It was in the hectic summer of 1968, when Aníbal was called up to play for the national team against Pelé’s Brazil and his signing with Valencia CF was finalized.
Biography Source; ciberche.net
