Brazil legend Socrates has died after suffering an intestinal
infection that developed into septic shock. He was 57.
He was taken into intensive care on Thursday after eating
infected stroganoff at a hotel. His wife and a friend also fell
ill, but Socrates had been in a state of poor health and was unable
to recover.
It was the third time in four months he had been taken into
intensive care after abuse of alcohol caused his stomach to
haemorrhage in August. He was pronounced dead at around 4.30am
local time on Sunday at the Albert Einstein Israeli Hospital in Sao
Paulo.
He was well known as a drinker and a smoker during his playing
days but, in a recent interview with SporTV, played down
his reliance on alcohol.
"I never had many problems with alcohol because I was not
addicted," he said. "All the time I interacted with alcohol as if
it were a partner, but I never had withdrawal symptoms. I spent
long periods without use. I do not feel like drinking. It is five
months since I put a drop of alcohol in my mouth. I do not miss
it.
"Obviously you have to change some of your behaviour and avoid
risky situations, so to speak. In my case, it is easy. I have no
addiction. For those with addiction it is much more
complicated."
A captain of his national side, he is considered one of the
greatest playmakers the game has seen, and represented his country
at the World Cups of 1982 and 1986.
At club level, he spent much of his career in his homeland -
most significantly a six-year spell with Corinthians in which he
won the Campeonato Paulista three times - but also played in Italy
with Fiorentina. In 2004, he famously came out of retirement at the
age of 50 to make a one-off substitute appearance for English
lower-league side Garforth Town.
A qualified doctor - he took his exams while playing - Socrates
was named in World Soccer's top 100 players of all-time
and was put up as one of compatriot Pele's 125 greatest-ever
players.