Busting the myths of Pele's incredible career

It has become fashionable to downplay Pele’s achievements but what is the truth about his record? Following the Brazilian's death at 82, Adam Bate examines why much of the criticism is misguided and attempts to put his accomplishments in their true context

By Adam Bate
Thursday 29 December 2022 19:47, UK

For a certain generation or three, Pele will always be the greatest. Officially, the player of the century and the only three-time World Cup winner. Unofficially, the man whose amazing displays helped to redefine football as the beautiful game. There will never be another.

But as time passes and memories fade, new heroes emerge. Firstly, Diego Maradona. A counter-culture figure, the yin to Pele's yang. Those who feasted on his exploits in the 1980s have grown up and are now the opinion shapers of the modern world. His greatness grows.

More recently, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's accomplishments have so dominated the space, their millions of admirers, not content with that dimension, seek to see their champions conquer another: Time. Messi is not merely the best. He is branded the GOAT.

Unfortunately, celebrating the achievements of one of those genuine icons of the world's most popular sport often means denigrating those of another. If there is one subject that unites the more fervent fans of Messi and Ronaldo, it is that Pele's greatness is overstated.

Social media is the battleground. Most who bore witness to the Brazilian's brilliance are left blissfully oblivious to the derision aimed in his direction. His scoring record has become a byword for exaggeration, the distant era in which he starred seen as reason alone to disbelieve his status as the best.

But following his death at 82, perhaps there is a need to change the narrative. To make an attempt to reclaim the crown. At the very least, the case must be presented. A riposte provided to the criticisms and questions that have been offered up when Pele's name has been mentioned in the past.

But he didn't really score 1,000 goals?

This single fact about Pele's record has been mocked more than any other. An article in The Guardian once jokingly suggested that the tally "famously involves goals scored while he was daydreaming in the bath". Some might even tease that his overhead kick in the film Escape to Victory was included in the final FIFA-recognised figure of 1,281 goals.

It is true that 526 scored in unofficial friendlies and tour games make up the total accepted by the Guinness Book of Records. And yet, the inflated figure should not mask the reality. Even before tackling the nuance of the argument when it comes to these so-called friendlies - and we will come to that - Pele's record in official matches still stands at well over 700 goals. It is a formidable number.

Pele scored more than 600 goals for Santos alone, a record which made him the highest scorer for a single major club in the history of the game until Messi reached 672 for Barcelona.

For all the debate over detail and the relative merits of the Sao Paulo state league, the one thing that everyone must agree upon is that Pele scored an astonishing number of goals.

But he scored his goals in Brazil?

That is largely true. But then, so what?

When Santos became national champions for the first time in 1961, a title they would go on to claim for five years in a row, the Brazilian league was arguably the strongest domestic competition in world. Certainly, it contained some of the game's most celebrated players.

Every one of the 1958 World Cup winning-squad had been playing in Brazil, and while some star names such as Jose Altafina had since ventured abroad, each of the 1962 World Cup-winning squad was also based in the country. And Santos did not have the monopoly on talent.

Botafogo counted Didi, Mario Zagallo, Nilton Santo and Garrincha among their numbers. But Santos were still the outstanding side and Pele was still the outstanding player.

Garrincha and the rest were present when Santos beat Botafogo in the 1962 Brazilian championship final. Pele scored twice in front of 70,000 as his side won 5-0 in the Maracana.

Though his legacy is defined by international exploits, these were huge games. Pele scored a hat-trick in the 1961 final against Bahia, the second of which was a stunning goal in which he beat three men. In 1963, he scored another hat-trick in a semi-final against Gremio before adding two goals home and away as Bahia were beaten again to make it three in a row.

There was another Pele hat-trick in the 1964 final against Flamengo. He netted again in 1965. In total, Pele scored 13 goals in 11 championship finals in that five-year period. His reputation as a big-game player during that time in Brazil helped to forge the legend.

Wasn't it easier to score back then?

Pele's outrageous goal haul in these finals can make it seem that these were easier times in which to score, but that is a trap to be avoided. After all, the same could surely be said of someone perusing the scoring records of Ronaldo and Messi at a later date. Nobody else is registering those numbers now. Nobody else was registering Pele's numbers then.

The average number of goals per game scored in Brazil's national championship between 1961 and 1965 was 3.07. The average number of goals per game in the last five years of the Champions League is very similar. The black-and-white footage may make it appear that this was football from another age but Pele's scoring feats demand respect.

But he didn't do it in Europe did he?

Pele played only a handful of what would now be considered competitive matches against European club sides. However, his performances in those matches leave little room for argument. His genius was laid bare against European Cup holders Benfica in the 1962 Intercontinental Cup - the return leg of which Pele claimed was his best-ever game.

Having already scored twice in a 3-2 win at the Maracana, he lit up the Estadio da Luz in Santos' 5-2 second-leg victory, scoring a hat-trick and overshadowing home hero Eusebio. There was even a nutmeg of the Portuguese pretender to hammer home the point as Pele beat a number of opponents to set up another of his side's goals. It was a masterclass.

Benfica goalkeeper Costa Pereira summed up the mood in Lisbon afterwards. "I arrived hoping to stop a great man," he said of his encounter with Pele. "But I went away convinced I had been undone by someone who was not born on the same planet as the rest of us."

Santos were back in Intercontinental Cup action the following year having retained the Copa Libertadores, this time taking on Nereo Rocco's AC Milan after they became European champions for the first time. Pele only played the first leg. He scored twice in the San Siro.

In 1969, Pele was back in Milan to compete in a new but short-lived tournament called the Intercontinental Super Cup. Inter were the opponents after a round-robin for past winners of the European Cup and Copa Libertadores. There was no doubt about the show's star.

"Pelé returned to Milan to be admired and managed, once again, to leave the audience satisfied," fawned Corriere dello Sport. Jornal do Brasil was equally effusive. "The most beautiful moves of the game were born from his feet. He had an exceptional performance, often causing the crowd to forget that he was an opponent and to applaud him deliriously."

Is that all we have to go on?

Pele played in many more matches in Europe that have since been described as friendlies. Lucrative games were lined up around the continent, the scale of which is difficult for modern audiences to comprehend. Pele and his Santos team-mates faced a punishing schedule, often playing every other day. There were 38 friendlies against Italian sides alone.

His record in those games was hugely impressive. Eight goals against Inter, six against Roma, three against Lazio, two apiece against Milan and Juventus. In Germany, he scored six times in two games against Eintracht Frankfurt. In Portugal, he hit a further four against Benfica. In Spain, Pele scored against the great Real Madrid side and notched three against Barcelona.

English opponents were not spared either, although many of these matches took place later in his career. He scored twice against Bobby Moore's West Ham and was still going strong in 1972 when Santos embarked on yet another money-spinning tour, this time to Hong Kong.

Frank Clark, later to win the European Cup with Nottingham Forest, played against Pele for Newcastle on that tour and remembers a quiet performance from the icon. For a while. "Pele suddenly decided to turn it on. He scored three fantastic goals in about 15 minutes."

But weren't these friendlies?

There is a famous line from the 1987 film The Princess Bride. "You keep using that word," says the character of Inigo Montoya. "I do not think it means what you think it means."

These matches might have been called friendlies but it would be a mistake to regard them as lesser contests for that reason. The existing footage reveals some robust treatment for Santos' star man. Most defenders went into these matches with a point to prove. Pele was the target, the man to stop. Everyone wanted to test themselves against the legend.

The crowds came out in force too. For some of these teams, for some of these players, this was the biggest match of the season - the biggest match of their lives. When Santos went to Plymouth in 1973, there were 37,639 packed into Home Park for a game that one Argyle player described as their cup final. Pele was just hoping not to be kicked as much as usual.

There were 88,000 in attendance when he went to Roma, 85,000 at Barcelona and 72,000 at Hamburg. Some reports even suggest there was a six-figure crowd in attendance for one of his matches at the San Siro in 1961. The European Cup had emerged from the floodlit games of the 1950s and this was the continuation of that tradition - showpiece occasions.

But he only won the Copa Libertadores twice?

The volume of tours that Santos undertook, hawking Pele around the globe in exchange for vast sums of cash, prevented them from competing in the Copa Libertadores as often as they could have done. There was simply less money in it. After winning in 1962 and 1963, the club subsequently withdrew from later competitions, denying Pele further honours.

By then, he had already left his mark. He scored twice in the 1962 play-off against Penarol in the Monumental to win that one. The following year, as Santos retained their crown, Pele returned to Buenos Aires to score the late winner against Boca Juniors in the Bombonera.

He never won the Copa America though?

It is true that Pele never won the Copa America but, again, those tour games prevented him from even taking part. In fact, Pele only played in one Copa America tournament - in Argentina in 1959. While the hosts won the trophy because of its league format, Brazil, the then World Cup winners, were also unbeaten. The star man that year was apparent to all.

Pele scored Brazil's equaliser in the final drawn game with Argentina in front of 85,000 fans in the Monumental. It was his eighth goal of the tournament, a record that included a hat-trick against Paraguay in the same stadium. He was duly named player of the tournament.

Did he do anything apart from score goals?

Much of the focus thus far has been on goals because it is more easily quantifiable. If that leads to supporters of other candidates for the status of the greatest of all time attempting to shift the argument and point to other qualities, Pele's case only becomes stronger.

He was no out-and-out striker. Perhaps the most famous showcase of his talent remains his final World Cup in 1970 when Brazil wowed all before them in Mexico. It is the tournament with which he is most associated, not because he was at his best, but because it was televised and in colour.

Some of the most famous moments were not goals at all. The attempt from the halfway line against Czechoslovakia, the outrageous dummy against Uruguay, and that save by England goalkeeper Gordon Banks.

Near misses, then, but what this really tells us is how much Pele crammed into just six games at that World Cup. How much magic did we miss prior to that because the cameras did not catch it?

Pele still scored four goals at that tournament, including the opening goal of the final. while his nonchalant assist for Carlos Alberto's goal that sealed the victory might be the most famous pass of them all.

It was one of 27 chances that he created from open play in that tournament and his sixth assist. That record hasn't been beaten since, not even by Maradona back in Mexico in 1986.

Much like Maradona, Pele had remarkable vision. Much like Messi, Pele was a world-class dribbler. Much like Ronaldo, his heading ability was a key weapon in his arsenal. There was far more to his game than goals. It just so happens that he scored lots and lots of them.

Conclusion

None of the above is enough to end one of football's longest-running debates. That will continue in perpetuity. But it does provide a little bit of context to some of the more facile attempts to dismiss the claims of the man still known to many as O Rei - The King.

Prefer others if you must but there is no need to denigrate the colossal achievements of Edson Arantes Do Nascimento. Following his passing at 82, Pele deserves to be remembered only as great.

WhoDeyHause:

Which young rightback do you suggest we go for that will agree to be benched by James? I heard ibime taking of dujon sterling. If his injury troubles are gone maybe we can try him.

dujon Sterling,yuks, they were scouting malo gusto,Pedro porro and one other guy ,I feel they where looking for hidden gem ,but due to James injury they'll fasten it up,our scout never get time balance well they're just working with what dey have to save chelsea too four title race

free my boy

WhoDeyHause:

Which young rightback do you suggest we go for that will agree to be benched by James? I heard ibime taking of dujon sterling. If his injury troubles are gone maybe we can try him.

Which injury troubles does Dujon have? Not aware of this. We can always call him back. Always felt TT made a stupid mistake by letting him go when he could have been good cover.

Meanwhile a good long term solution I will propose is buying back Tino Livramento. We have a first refusal on a buy-back option and Southampton are probably getting relegated.

Solid RB, solid incentive RWB, still only 21...Chelsea through and through.

nateevs:


How this simple argument eludes them is totally mind boggling. They think as long as you say 'it's not my money'...then it's right to spend anything at all on a player.

This lot just want to see shiny new toys. They don't realise that in the end, Chelsea, by FFP, is still not allowed to spend more than it generates in revenue, no matter how wealthy your owners are. So yes, it is 'OUR' money, and very stupid to conclude otherwise.

See LordFalcao and Bimfo that I expect are already familiar with these terms and conditions, not like the new mumu ones, are also joining in the mumuism and shouting 'calculator' all over the place.

These types of ill-educated arguments is why other people label all Chelsea fans as one.

First and foremost, let me correct Popizaino on somethings. You can't compare and contrast Football teams to Governments. It doesn't work like that. Football dealings are purely and mainly fluid, They are not static.

We all know Osun will never spend or earn much like Lagos or Rivers because they don't have the same resources. It's true. It's static! It's almost Law.

But you cannot bring the same analogy to football. No! Because Barca is the highest or richest football team (in terms of revenue) this year, doesn't mean Chelsea cannot beat them to it next year. The way these teams earn and get sponsors is not tied to the number of trophies they have won.

Few years ago, Aston Villa were last in the EPL, and they earned more than Bayern Munich in Bundesliga. I am not saying Aston Villa is richer than Bayern. I am just saying, Government and Football are 2 different things when it comes to Revenue and how they earn/spend.

PSG spent over 400m in the purchase of Neymar and Mbappe alone. Do they have the prestige as Madrid?

Pep and City have also spent huge, do they also have the same prestige as Madrid?

The amount of money Madrid is spending doesn't determine any other teams expenditure. It doesn't! Football has gone past that. That is why big players will want to come and play for small teams in the EPL,than go to any other big teams in other leagues.

Secondly I really don't care about Madrid spending much on Tchoumeni. It is their problem. But we all know they got the better deal. The boy is a fantastic player. If Chelsea will be getting a better deal with Enzo, then so be it. Personally,I am tired of the midfield, and I can't wait for us to get them out.

The scouting team have bought Fofana (the striker) for 10 million, and some promising young players for cheap. If the same scouting team and technical crew are banking 120m quid for a midfielder, then so be it. If they say it is what we need, then It is what we need!

And why is Popi saying 40m for a midfielder max. I donot want another Bakayoko, abeg? Even Jorginho was 50m. Kovacic was 60m. 30+ years Casemiro is 60m. If you want a good midfielder, you must spend. All those years of "max for this position" is passed.

And for the wings, Boehly have invested there too. He has bought Nkunku and also Sterling. He has brought back Hutchinson. The defence was not left out too. We bought Fofana and CSO. The only position that was not given attention to was the midfield.

Lastly, I am putting my trust in the new technical directors and scouting crew, Mr Boehly has put together. They have come to work and deliver, and I am giving them every inch of support anyhow I can give them.

There is nothing that has been anyone's concern that has not been put into consideration by these people. These people are technocrats. They were trained for the job.

You think a team as big as Chelsea won't put FFP or any other boundaries into consideration and will just keep spending? Come on nah! You no rate those guys o. They have even gotten to where you have not gotten to.

Post COVID is hard on big clubs. They have to spend big, if they like it or not. Especially the English big boys.

If you are thinking of how Raumdeuter will come here to start calculating, please don't mind him. He is one of the reason I am shouting calculator.

Ballzproblem2:
can't compare their two ,mount salary is not justified no matter how you put it,it will make more academy players become greedy.

Mount is under contract. He is our player. If he is playing football of 300k/week, please give him.

But his baba sef. Kante. Na 300k e dey collect. Make he go sit down.

Bimffo:


Mount is under contract. He is our player. If he is playing football of 300k/week, please give him.

But his baba sef. Kante. Na 300k e dey collect. Make he go sit down.

mount is not getting £300k we have many people we can play as 8 in that club ,Kante that was forming strong head ,now wants to listen to our terms , nobody is bigger than the club ,if you push for exit ,we replace you.

swiz123:
I looked at Pele's best goals, without bias, they look so ordinary. You could tell those players marking him were amateurs.

Those defenders had never seen those tricks before. Pele invented them. Those defenders marking him are all-time greats like Beckenbaur, Schnellinger, Bobby Moore, Maldini Senior, Trapattoni, Jack Charlton, Fachetti and co

Unlike today when players learn their tricks from watching countless videos, Pele did not have forebears videos to learn tricks from and invented all the modern tricks himself. That's what makes him the greatest. Almost every modern style of dribbling originated at his feet

Similarly, defenders back then had not seen those tricks before and were bamboozled, making them look like odè

WhoDeyHause:

Why would anybody compare Spanish isco and ulokpa Mr. Bean to modric because of one lucky world cup cassilas carried them to? Do they have ballon dors? Where is their world cup golden ball and bronze ball? Where is their fifa the best award? Where is Mr bean's uefa best? Where is their champions league 3peat? Where are their 5 champions leagues? While modric is still grinding at 37 one of your frauds was riding camels in the desert while the other was using his club allowance on sushi. Respect modric.

Lotta bark, no bite.

Show me his World Cup or run away in shame.

If e pain u buy sniper drink kpai yourself

When Messi collect 3 of these I will get serious with his fan girls

Ibime:


Those defenders had never seen those tricks before. Pele invented them. Those defenders marking him are all-time greats like Beckenbaur, Schnellinger, Bobby Moore, Maldini Senior, Trapattoni, Jack Charlton, Fachetti and co

Unlike today when players learn their tricks from watching countless videos, Pele did not have forebears videos to learn tricks from and invented all the modern tricks himself. That's what makes him the greatest. Almost every modern style of dribbling originated at his feet

Similarly, defenders back then had not seen those tricks before and were bamboozled, making them look like odè

Back then, it was mainly ‘gidigbo football’ that was being played by teams. No flair, no genuine skills, no magics.

It was Pele who brought the style, tricks and glamour to this game which was crying out for an identity. I’ve seen more than five documentaries on him already since his death was announced, this man was a god.

While others kept doing the basics on the pitch, he was busy conjuring magics. As it’s all normal today to see one step-over, multiple step-overs, the scissors kick, the rabona, etc, it wasn’t normal to behold them in the 50s. Pele was the ‘mad man’ behind those inventions.

He is indeed the OG inventor.

postdigger:
Indeed

I don’t see Saudi there

Ibime:


Those defenders had never seen those tricks before. Pele invented them. Those defenders marking him are all-time greats like Beckenbaur, Schnellinger, Bobby Moore, Maldini Senior, Trapattoni, Jack Charlton, Fachetti and co

Unlike today when players learn their tricks from watching countless videos, Pele did not have forebears videos to learn tricks from and invented all the modern tricks himself. That's what makes him the greatest. Almost every modern style of dribbling originated at his feet

Similarly, defenders back then had not seen those tricks before and were bamboozled, making them look like odè

no offense.

Kantebets:
If e pain u buy sniper drink kpai yourself

When Messi collect 3 of these I will get serious with his fan girls

No offense

Jodera:
Nothing like Valid debate from Una ends ever

Afterall, you people claimed for any valid debate to happen, Messi needs to win at least a WC. Now you don shift am to 3 WCs.

Which Valid debate wan dey pass say both of them na WC winners?

The guy don Dey cry since using pele since his fraud have been disgraced

Me self Dey Laff ,e wan use pele troll Messi ,kolewerk

Kantebets:
dey play
Just dey play

andrewbaba44:




The guy don Dey cry since using pele since his fraud have been disgraced

Me self Dey Laff ,e wan use pele troll Messi ,kolewerk

Lol... Leave am make him dey play
I remember when we call Messi Goat for all him exploits he did. They said Which Kain Goat when him no get intl trophy. That let him win int'l trophy then we can have the Goat debate.

We cooled down seeing it was a valid talk. Then Messi won Copa America last year and we brought it up again seeing that it was an international trophy. This time dey rubbished Copa America calling it "waec cup" and other rubbish names. They Said he needs to win WC for any valid debate.

Now he don win WC, naim dem dey call 3 WCs??

Kolewerk!!!

Jodera:
Lol... Leave am make him dey play
I remember when we call Messi Goat for all him exploits he did. They said Which Kain Goat when him no get intl trophy. That let him win int'l trophy then we can have the Goat debate.

We cooled down seeing it was a valid talk. Then Messi won Copa America last year and we brought it up again seeing that it was an international trophy. This time dey rubbished Copa America calling it "waec cup" and other rubbish names. They Said he needs to win WC for any valid debate.

Now he don win WC, naim dem dey call 3 WCs??

Kolewerk!!!

This Messi World Cup win pain go last for their body o

Jodera:
In some situation... 1motor better pass 3.

Person wey get one Lambo better pass person wey get 5 Toyota Corollas. Even though say all of them na motor

E get reason why Messi na the only WC winner wey dem "anoint and coronate" am with golden Robe

@ the bolded na lie o, one day you might want to take your lambo out and its faulty while all the 5 Corolla no fi dey faulty at the same time. So, Corolla better be that cos one of them will still be taken out

andrewbaba44:


This Messi World Cup win pain go last for their body o

Make e last abeg. Make the pain last wella.

I remember when dem troll us cos of Messi lack of intl trophy and even his 2014 WC loss and Copa America final losses.

I know say this place for no contain anybody if Argentina had lost this recent WC. So as e dey laidis, make e just dey pepper dem dey go

Bjteensdes24:

@ the bolded na lie o, one day you might want to take your lambo out and its faulty while all the 5 Corolla no fi dey faulty at the same time. So, Corolla better be that cos one of them will still be taken out

Person wey get one Lambo no fit dey situation wey him fit deh stranded for movement no matter how faulty his lambo is.

I no fit say same about person wey get 5 Corollas

Ibime:



Good morning Sir

After spending half a trillion dollars on subsidies

Meanwhile even a nato member is ditching the dollar

Jodera:
Make e last abeg. Make the pain last wella.

I remember when dem troll us cos of Messi lack of intl trophy and even his 2014 WC loss and Copa America final losses.

I know say this place for no contain anybody if Argentina had lost this recent WC. So as e dey laidis, make e just dey pepper dem dey go

Anytime I remember the troll Messi suffered I keep getting brutal

I won’t forgive them

Jodera:
Person wey get one Lambo no fit dey situation wey him fit deh stranded for movement no matter how faulty his lambo is.

I no fit say same about person wey get 5 Corollas

You don dey take am far again. You were talking about 1 Lambo and 5 Corolla forget situation. What if na that one Lambo e get dey drive around

obainojazz:
I don’t see Saudi there

I gat you

https://twitter.com/marcgeschwind/status/1608895121101324288?s=46&t=Ss_zw0vH00GXYG5aIKSikg

Una wan defend nonsense

Havertz10:
After spending half a trillion dollars on subsidies

Meanwhile even a nato member is ditching the dollar

Though I don't want a World power that censors freedom of speech, but I think the USA time is up. I really want it to be up..

andrewbaba44:


Anytime I remember the troll Messi suffered I keep getting brutal

I won’t forgive them

No forgi.veness in the street bro.

Switch places and dem for don drag us like gen taya

Bjteensdes24:

You don dey take am far again. You were talking about 1 Lambo and 5 Corolla forget situation. What if na that one Lambo e get dey drive around

Na you bring situation come matter and now you say make I forget situation?

O wrong nau!!

Ibime:


Those defenders had never seen those tricks before. Pele invented them. Those defenders marking him are all-time greats like Beckenbaur, Schnellinger, Bobby Moore, Maldini Senior, Trapattoni, Jack Charlton, Fachetti and co

Unlike today when players learn their tricks from watching countless videos, Pele did not have forebears videos to learn tricks from and invented all the modern tricks himself. That's what makes him the greatest. Almost every modern style of dribbling originated at his feet

Similarly, defenders back then had not seen those tricks before and were bamboozled, making them look like odè

Are you trying to say that before Pele, players didn't dribble each other? Cos those things you called tricks are just simple footballing instincts. Are you trying to say Pele invented nutmeg?

I have studied his skills and they weren't more than what I did as a boy even without watching any match on Television or learning anywhere. I am talking shot feint, sharp change of direction, accelerating past oppositions.

For comparison, Maradona's Messi-like dribbling was way more effective than Pele's. The latter more often than not bagged into players after doing his poorly performed skill.

Football is more technical and tactical now. Teams study their opposition too well and learn about their strengths due to visual aids which allows for repeated exposure. But then, the exceptional players still manage to make them look silly.

Pele was great among his peers because he was a talented dude amongst 80% amateurs. Surely, such fluke career can't be compared to Lionel Messi whose dominance shown while playing against very rich clubs who parade very talented players with excellent footballing culture.

Jodera:
Na you bring situation come matter and now you say make I forget situation?

O wrong nau!!

Ko buru motigbo o

Havertz10:
After spending half a trillion dollars on subsidies

Meanwhile even a nato member is ditching the dollar

Turkey currency has collapsed from 6 Liras to one dollar to 20 Liras to one dollar in the last 2 years. They can do what they want, their businessmen will always hold dollar

Turkey is getting ready to invade the Kurds in Syria in 2023 to create a 30km buffer zone between PKK and SDF who are US allies against ISIS. They will need to protect themselves from sanctions naturally,though the US won't censure them, it is only sensible that they take all precaution. Turkey is already under some small sanctions for buying S400 air defence system in 2017

Meanwhile your Putin is increasingly asking for peace. Current expenditure from their foreign reserves is $13bln a month to defend the rouble. They started with $630bln, $330 bln got seized, leaving $300bln though they still reflect the seized reserves on their balance sheet. Help me do some Maths on how many months they can afford to keep up the war before their Reserve gets dangerously low and they have to let their currency float. October balance was around $218b with $13bln monthly cost to propping up rouble. My maths says another roughly 12 months will bring their available reserves down to $50bln, similar to Nigeria, and the point at which their Central Bank will stop buying rouble. Expect their call for peace to increase before the clock runs out. Tick Tock mudafucka

Bjteensdes24:

Ko buru motigbo o

Lol...