Brazil football legend Socrates fighting for his life

Page last updated at 16:46 GMT, Saturday, 3 December 2011

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Former Brazil captain Socrates made 60 appearances for his country

Former Brazil captain Socrates is fighting for his life in hospital.

Medics at a Sao Paulo hospital said Socrates, widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, remained on life support on Saturday.
He has been in a critical condition with an intestinal infection since being admitted to intensive care on Friday night.
Socrates, who played in two World Cups, won 60 caps for his country between 1979 and 1986, scoring 22 goals.

SOCRATES FACTFILE

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• Born on 19 February 1954 in Belem do Para, Brazil
• Rated as one of the greatest midfielders of all-time
• At 6ft 4in tall he was known for his physical strength, as well as two-footed vision and skill
• Played for Botafogo and Corinthians in Brazil before a one-season spell at Fiorentina
• Saw out his career with Flamengo and Santos before retiring in 1989 aged 35
• In 2004 aged 50 Socrates made an appearance as sub for Garforth Town in the Northern Counties League after a one-off deal to become player-coach

The Brazilian, whose full name is Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Sousa Vieira de Oliveira, was taken to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paolo with food poisoning on Friday, his wife said.
A hospital statement said the former footballer was "in a critical condition due to a septic shock of intestinal origin".
It added he was breathing with a ventilator and using a dialysis machine.
Socrates was taken to hospital twice in August and September this year with bleeding in his digestive tract.
After these incidents he admitted he had problems with alcohol, and especially so during his playing career. He is also well known for his smoking habit.
In a recent television interview, Socrates said he had considered alcohol his "companion" but believed its regular use did not affect his performance on the field.
"Alcohol did not affect my career, in part because I never had the physical build to play this game," he said.
"Soccer became my profession only when I was already 24. I was too thin, and when I was young, I did not have the opportunity to prepare myself physically for the sport."

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