Intro:

Brazilian football icon Pele thanks the medical team who treated him for a urinary tract infection before his discharge from a Sao Paulo hospital on Tuesday (9th December).

Script:

Brazilian legend Pele was discharged from a Sao Paolo hospital on Tuesday after a two-week stay for a urinary tract infection.

The 74 year old underwent hemodialysis at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein to support his only kidney, after he developed the infection from a surgery performed in November to remove some kidney stones.

The case came to the world's attention last month when the hospital announced that Pele's condition had become unstable and he was taken to an intensive care unit.

But the star confirmed he was doing well on Tuesday, and after thanking his medical team he even joked about playing at the Rio Olympics.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Pele:

"It was a difficult time for me because I had a surgery on my femur and I was improving and I had a reaction (to the surgery), an infection. Then I was getting better but I had problems with kidney stones and I ended up here. Then I thought, 'Hey, I think God is forgetting about me'."

UPSOUND (Portuguese) Pele:

"I just want to remind you about this, only three professionals can play at the Olympics, and I'm one of them."