FILE PHOTO: Soccer legend Pele attends the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Sao Paulo during the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Sao Paulo, Brazil March 14, 2018. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker
September 17, 2021
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil soccer legend Pele has re-entered an intensive care unit at Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital, ESPN Brasil reported on Friday, in an apparent deterioration of his health after he left the unit earlier this week.
The hospital and Pele’s representative in Santos said they could not confirm the news.
ESPN Brasil said the three-time World Cup winner was re-admitted to the ICU due to acid reflux. The 80-year-old had a colon tumor removed this month and stayed in the hospital for further monitoring.
After he was transferred out of the ICU on Tuesday, Pele posted a smiling image on Instagram with the message he was ready for “90 minutes, plus extra time.”
A star for Santos, Brazil and the New York Cosmos, Pele is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.
He retired from the game in 1977, and his health has been a source of concern to family and fans in recent years.
He has suffered from hip problems for years and cannot walk unaided. In 2014 he spent some time in the ICU due to a severe urinary tract infection.
Last year, Pele’s son said his father suffered from bouts of depression, something the star later denied.
His public appearances were already being cut before the COVID-19 pandemic and since then he has made few unnecessary forays outside his house near Santos.
(Reporting by Gabriel AraujoWriting by Gabriel Stargardter and Andrew DownieEditing by Brad Haynes and Grant McCool)
Source: One America News Network
