Pele 'recovering well' after leaving intensive care for second time
By Tom Gott
Brazilian legend Pele has revealed he is recovering well in hospital after being readmitted to intensive care following surgery earlier this month.
The 80-year-old had a tumour removed from his colon and was released from the unit on Wednesday, only to be brought back in two days later.
Fortunately, a statement from the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo confirmed (via Globo) that his return to the facility was purely a precautionary measure and he has now been released once again after further checks were carried out.
The hospital said Pele was 'stable from a cardiovascular and respiratory point of view, and is still recovering', and the Brazilian confirmed that himself on Instagram.
"My friends, I am still recovering very well," the icon wrote. "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's daughter, Kely Nascimento, also moved to reassure fans that her father was well, adding: "He is recovering well, I promise!
"He doesn't like it when I say this so please don't tell him, but he's an old man now. On average, a man of his age can sometimes take two steps forward and one step back when recovering from an operation like this. It's very normal.
"Yesterday he was tired and took a little step back. Today he took two forwards!"
Widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, Pele has struggled with a number of health issues in recent years and is no longer able to walk unaided because of a hip issue.
His public appearances were being limited even before the COVID-19 outbreak, but Pele continues to battle against his ill-health and appears determined to reunite with his supporters once it is safe to do so.