Brazilian football legend Pele has said that he is “recovering very well” after he was briefly readmitted to intensive care following a recent operation.
Earlier this month, Pele had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon this month and the 80-year-old was initially released from the ICU on Wednesday before his readmission.
In an Instagram post, Pele wrote, “My friends, I am still recovering very well. Today I received visits from family members and I continue to smile every day. Thank you for all the love I get from you.”
Pele has been receiving treatment at Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital since 31 August after the doctors detected a tumour during routine tests.
In a statement, Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital said Pele was readmitted to the intensive care “as a preventative measure”.
“After stabilization, the patient was transferred to semi-intensive care. He is currently stable from a cardiovascular and respiratory point of view.”
Before the hospital released the statement, there was an air of uncertainty surrounding the legendary footballer’s health.
In an Instagram post, his daughter said, “I don’t know what is going on with the rumours out there but my DMs are booming!!!
She said, “There’s already a lot of anxiety roaming the world these days and we don’t want to be the reason for more. The normal recovery scenario for a man of his age after an operation like this, is sometimes two steps forward and one step back. It’s very normal. Yesterday he was tired and took a little step back. Today he took two forwards!”
Pele’s health has become a matter of concern in recent years. In 2015, he went under the knife for prostate surgery and he was admitted again for a urinary infection in 2019.
The record three-time world cup winner Pele is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 games and was the leading South American men’s scorer in international matches before Argentine legend Lionel Messi broke his record with a hat-trick in Argentina’s recent World Cup qualifying win against Bolivia.
