Pelé sends his encouragement to the Brazilian team and his family insists that he is not in palliative care

BERLIN, Dec. 5 (dpa/EP) -

The family of ex-Brazilian soccer player Edson Arantes do Nascimento, 'Pelé', once again denied this Monday the speculation about the state of health of the triple world champion, who also sent a message of support to the 'Canarinha' ahead of their crossing of round of 16 of the World Cup in Qatar against South Korea.

The newspaper 'Folha de Sao Paulo' reported last Saturday that the 82-year-old player had been transferred to a palliative care room at a local hospital because chemotherapy was no longer working, but his family came forward and warned that it was not like this and he repeated it again this Sunday night with 'TV Globo', in which two daughters and one of his grandsons said that Pelé was receiving respiratory treatment in relation to a coronavirus infection.

"He is sick, he is old, but as soon as he feels better he will go home," said Kely do Nascimento, while his sister Flavia added that the Brazilian soccer star was not in palliative care. "It is very unfair that it is said that he is at the end of his life and in palliative care. It is not true, friends. Believe us," she said.

For his part, one of Pele's grandsons, Arthur Arantes do Nascimento, claimed to have spoken on the phone with his grandfather about Brazil's first two matches in the World Cup in Qatar. "That (death) will happen some day, but not today. You will see Brazil become world champions for the sixth time," he confessed.

The former Brazilian player himself sent his encouragement through his 'Instagram' profile to the five-time world champion. "I want to inspire you my friends. I will be watching the game here from the hospital and I will be cheering each and every one of you. We are on this journey together. Good luck to our Brazil," he wrote.