Brazilian football legend Pele, 80, was briefly transferred back to an intensive care unit Friday after suffering breathing difficulties but is now stable, said the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, where he underwent surgery earlier this month.
The transfer was a temporary “preventative measure,” the hospital said in a statement, adding that the sporting great was later transferred to “semi-intensive care” as he continues to recover from surgery for a suspected colon tumor.
“He is currently stable from a cardiovascular and respiratory point of view,” it added.
Shortly afterwards, the ex-footballer posted a message on social media stating: “Friends, I am still recovering very well. Today I received visits from family and I am still smiling every day.”
Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento also posted a photo of herself next to her father in the hospital, seeking to cheer up his fans.
“This is the normal recovery scenario for a man his age. After an operation like this, sometimes you take two steps forward, one step back,” Nascimento wrote on Instagram next to the photo.
“Yesterday he was tired and he took a step back. Today, he has taken two steps forward,” she added.
