Brazilian soccer legend Pele has taken a turn for the worse since being hospitalized for a urinary infection and is now under “special care” in his native Brazil.
The Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo released a statement Thursday announcing that the 74-year-old sports icon has been transferred to a “special care unit” to better treat his deteriorating health, AFP originally reported.
Pele checked in to the clinic on Monday for a medical exam and was diagnosed with a urinary infection. He was being treated with antibiotics before his condition worsened.
This health scare comes just two weeks after Pele underwent surgery for kidney stones.
Hospital officials stressed that he was not in an intensive care unit, according to The Associated Press.
An aide to the soccer superstar, meanwhile, claims the move was simply done for privacy reasons.
“He was uncomfortable with so many people coming. It’ll be quieter now,” Jose Fornos Rodrigues told Reuters.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is a three-time World Cup champion with Brazil and generally acknowledged as the greatest soccer player of all time. Voted “World Player of the Century” in 1999, he was also named “Athlete of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee.
He scored 1281 goals in 1363 games for country and club, which included Santos FC and the New York Cosmos.