Soccer legend Pele hospitalized

SAO PAULO, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Soccer legend Pele, hospitalized this week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was transferred to a special care unit, the hospital said.

Pele, 74, was admitted for treatment for a urinary infection twice this week. In an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the illness, his agent, Jose Fornos Rodrigues, told CNN the retired athlete was moved to a special care facility to protect his privacy.

"Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) remains in hospital. To receive the best care he was transferred in order to be monitored in a special care unit," an Albert Einstein Hospital statement said Thursday, adding his condition was "unstable."

There are concerns the health of Pele, regarded by many as soccer's greatest player, is quickly declining. In the past decade he has suffered a detached retina, hip replacement surgery and a series of kidney ailments. Among the most globally recognized people in sport, he was on the Brazilian national team which won World Cups in 1958, 1962 and 1970.