“I’m fine”: Pele gives the all-clear

“Thank you for your prayers and concern. I'm fine," the 79-year-old said in a statement on Thursday. On Monday, his son Edinho reported that Pele was suffering from depression due to his poor health and rarely left his house. Pele now clarified: “I will be 80 years old. I have some good days and some not so good days. “That’s normal for people my age,” said the three-time world champion. He is “not afraid”, is determined and has confidence in himself. “I do not avoid fulfilling the obligations of my very busy schedule,” wrote the former wonder striker. His son had previously told the internet portal Globoesporte: “He is very frail in terms of his mobility and that is causing him to fall into a kind of depression. You have to imagine: he was the king and always such an impressive person, and now he can no longer walk normally. So he became very withdrawn, it embarrassed him.” Edinho spoke up again. In an ESPN interview scheduled to air on Saturday, he qualified his original statements. “The word depression is meant only as an emotional condition, not a clinical condition or a diagnosis that I have made,” he said. His father was frustrated with the healing process after several operations. “It is not a clinical condition, just an intimate view of a son. And unfortunately this has met with an unfortunate response.” Not leaving the house is nothing unusual for Pele: “He was always more of a domestic guy, something that comes with fame. Like Michael Jackson or Neymar. These people can't just go out on the streets. That’s the price they pay for who they are.” Pele has repeatedly struggled with health problems in recent years and public appearances have become rare. In 2014 he was in intensive care after a urinary tract infection, and last April he was treated in Paris for kidney problems. His difficulty walking is due to problems with his hips.

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“I’m fine”: Pele gives the all-clear

Brazilian football idol Pele has given the all-clear after speculation about his health.

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