Football legend Pele, 81, is in the hospital again 

'His clinical conditions are stable and he should be released in the coming days.'

Football legend Pele, 81, is in the hospital again 
Pele

Brazilian football legend Pele has a urinary infection and will be kept in hospital for longer than his doctors planned.

Pele, 81, who has been undergoing chemotherapy for a colon tumour that was removed in September, returned to the Albert Einstein hospital on February 13.

However, 'during his stay routine exams were carried out that showed the presence of a urinary infection, a fact that extends his stay as a patient in the hospital,' a bulletin from the Sao Paulo clinic said.

'His clinical conditions are stable and he should be released in the coming days.'

Pele underwent an endoscopy last week which left him weak and has difficulty eating and speaking, according to a report by ESPN.

Pele has had chemotherapy to treat the tumour that was found during routine exams at the end of August. He was briefly put in intensive care shortly after the surgery on his colon, and has since recovered.

He was discharged on September 30, almost one month after being hospitalised, but has spent more days in hospital since.

Three-time World Cup winner Pele is widely regarded as one of the best players in history

Widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, the 81-year-old former Santos, New York Cosmos and Brazil player has suffered from a series of health issues in recent years, including hip surgery that left him with recurring pain and trouble walking unaided. 

He underwent prostate surgery in 2015 after being taken to hospital for the second time in six months, and was admitted for a urinary infection in 2019.