In Qatar, fans wished Pele well in Brazil’s group stage match against Cameroon on Friday
The assistant coach of the Brazilian national football team, Cesar Sampaio, appealed to everyone to “pray” for the legendary striker Pele to recover, as the former green rectangle star is receiving treatment in hospital.
Pele, 82, was taken to hospital last Tuesday, but he reassured his fans around the world about his health last Saturday, saying he was “strong with a lot of hope.”
The Brazil great’s comments came after a Sao Paulo newspaper reported that he was in hospice care.
“Regardless of your religion, we ask you to pray,” said Sampaio, who is participating with his country’s team in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
And the assistant coach of Brazil, the former Santos player for whom Pele played, added: “He is a man who left a great impact on my life, not only as an athlete, but also as a human being, even with the extreme difficulty that anyone might face trying to talk to him because of the great position he reached.” .
Pele has received regular treatment since he underwent surgery to remove a colon tumor in September 2021. The legendary soccer star said last Thursday that he is at Israelita Albert Einstein Hospital on a “routine monthly visit”.
A statement issued by the hospital on Saturday said Pele “was responding well to treatment for a respiratory infection”.
He said Pele was undergoing a “re-evaluation of chemotherapy”, which comes amid a torrent of messages of support being sent to him from across the footballing world.
Brazil coach Tite expressed his admiration for Pele, saying: “I was trembling when I greeted him. My hands were sweating, my heart was racing, and I said to myself, ‘What a chance I’m going to have by greeting Pele’. It’s something we all feel, it’s a moment.” very difficult”.
Arsene Wenger, former Arsenal manager and current director of development at FIFA, said Pele had “adored” him since childhood, adding: “We wish him a speedy recovery.”
Reassuring message
Pele reassured his fans around the world by saying that he was “strong and full of hope,” while continuing his treatment journey in a hospital in Sao Paulo.
In a statement released on Saturday, Pele said messages of support, along with watching Brazil’s World Cup matches, had given him “energy”.
In a statement via Instagram, Pele said: “My friends, I would like everyone to enjoy calm and optimism .. I am strong, full of hope, and continue my treatment journey as usual. I would like to thank the entire medical team for all the care they have overwhelmed me with.”
He added, “My faith is great in God, and every love letter I receive from you from around the world fills me with energy, which I also derive from watching the Brazil national team matches in the World Cup!”
Pele concluded his statement by saying, “Thank you very much for everything.”
Doctors had confirmed that Pele had a respiratory infection. On Friday, the hospital said he was in stable condition.
On Saturday, a new statement said Pele’s condition had not deteriorated in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, messages poured in from around the world in support of the Brazilian legend.
“Inspiration”
England captain Harry Kane said on Saturday: “We are saddened when we hear about his illness, but we wish him good health. I am not the only one who wishes that, but all of England. He is an inspiration, an exceptional personality.”
Speaking on Saturday to the BBC, on the sidelines of the World Cup coverage, former World Cup-winning Germany star Jurgen Klinsmann said: “Pele is a wonderful person. He is an exceptional figure in the world of football. We can only pray for the best for him.”
As former Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta told the BBC: “Very sad to hear about Pele (illness). He has always been a true inspiration to all of us, on and off the field. He has always been a great man.”
On Twitter, France striker Kylian Mbappe tweeted, “Pray for the king.”
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The Torch Tower in Doha was lit up with a picture of Brazilian legend Pele in support of him
Qatar, which is now hosting the World Cup, showed support for Brazilian legend Pele on Saturday, lighting up buildings with a message of “wishes for a speedy recovery”.
Lusail Stadium in Doha, which will host the World Cup final match scheduled for December 18, was also decorated, and the Torch Tower near Khalifa Stadium was decorated with pictures of the Brazilian legend wearing his famous shirt No. 10.
In a tweet on Twitter, the Brazilian club Santos, for whom Pele was playing, said: “The whole world wishes you safety, King Pele.”