Santos abandon plan to retire No10 shirt made famous by Pele

Santos have dropped immediate plans to retire the No10 shirt that Pele wore during his career with the Brazilian club.

The club's members were divided on the issue and the emergence of an old video in which Pele said he was against the idea has seemingly seen the proposal scrapped for now.

In a 2017 YouTube interview, Pele reportedly said: "It's better, perhaps, to leave the No10 because then people will never forget it."

Santos president Andres Rueda said soon after Pele's death that retiring the 10 shirt would be "an excellent tribute", revealing it would be put to the club's council for consideration, with the number to be dropped in the meantime pending a final decision.

Multiple reports in Brazil said Pele's daughters had requested the number be retired but Santos will no longer be taking that course of action in the near future.

Pele won three World Cups with Brazil – in 1958, 1962 and 1970 – and was widely regarded as the greatest player of his generation, touring the world with Santos due to popular international demand.

Rueda has now said, according to Sao Paulo newspaper Folha: "There is an old video that reached us in which Pele talks about his desire to keep the No10 shirt.

"The concept has changed a bit now. We will leave it to talk to the family later, now is not the time."

Pele played for Santos from 1956 to 1974. The club declared a seven-day period of mourning following his death on Thursday at the age of 82.