BERLIN: Pele’s family has again dismissed speculation that the Brazilian football icon was close to death in a Sao Paulo hospital, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

The Folha de Sao Paulo paper had reported Saturday that the 82-year-old had been transferred to a palliative ward in a local hospital because chemotherapy was no longer bringing results.

Pele, who had a tumour removed from his colon last year, was admi ed to the clinic in connection with cancer treatment, and the hospital said he was responding well to treatment.

His family had also dismissed speculation he was in a very serious condition.

According to dpa, they repeated this in an interview with TV Globo on Sunday night, with two daughters and a grandson saying he was undergoing respiratory treatment in connection with a coronavirus infection.

“He is ill, he is old. But as soon as he is feeling be er he will go home,” one of the daughters, Kely Nascimento said.