Sao Paulo, July 19 (IANS/EFE) Brazilian soccer legend Pele was admitted to a hospital here with a spinal problem, a media report said.
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The three-time World Cup victor, considered by many as the greatest ever footballer, has suffered a series of health problems in recent years.
Press officer for the Albert Einstein hospital, Mirtes Bogea, confirmed Pele was a patient but she was unable to provide any other details on Saturday.
According to the Globo Esporte website, Pele underwent arthrodesis, a procedure used to treat pain caused by the motion or instability of the spine.
The hospital said the “previously scheduled” surgery for nerve root decompression was performed on Tuesday.
This is the third time Pelé has been hospitalized since November.
He was also in hospital for two weeks in December due to a urinary tract infection stemming from a kidney stone operation.
Pele was named Athlete of the Century by the global Olympic Committee in 1999.
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He was hospitalised at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, in the south of Sâo Paulo.
