Pele gets discharged from hospital, to undergo chemo
SAO PAULO: Brazilian football legend Pele was released from a month-long hospital stay on Thursday after having surgery for a colon tumour, but will continue undergoing chemotherapy, his medical team said.
Pele, 80, had been receiving treatment at Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo since Aug 31, after a suspected tumour was detected during routine tests.
Pele, who underwent surgery on Sept 4, is in “stable” condition, doctors said.
The hospital did not use the word “cancer” in its statement and gave no further details on Pele’s chemotherapy, but the treatment is typically used in cancer patients. The results of his biopsy were not made public.
“I am so happy to be back at home,” Pele said in a statement on Facebook.
“I want to thank the entire Albert Einstein Hospital team, who made my stay a pleasant one, with a humane and very affectionate welcome. Thanks also to all of you, who from afar, make my life complete with so many messages of love.
“When the road is hard, celebrate every step of the journey. Focus on your happiness.
“It’s true that I can’t jump anymore, but these past few days, I’ve been punching the air more often than usual.”
Considered by many the greatest footballer of all time, Edson Arantes do Nascimento — Pele’s real name — has been in poor health in recent years, and has had various stints in the hospital.
The only player in history to win three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970), he burst onto the global stage at just 17 with dazzling goals, including two in the final against hosts Sweden, as Brazil won the World Cup for the first time in 1958. He retired from professional football in 1977.