The son of Pele, Edinhohas been the new manager of modest Londrina since Sunday and led the team to a 1-0 victory before assuring fans that his father, a football legend, is “a fighter” and is giving it his all in the battle against cancer.
Pele, 81, had a tumor removed from his colon in September 2021 and has been in and out of hospital regularly for chemotherapy ever since.
A urinary tract infection meant his latest hospital stay was longer than planned, but the three-time World Cup winner is now back home near Santos, the city and club where he made his name.
“He is good. He is in a tough battle for his health, but my father is a fighter, as he has been all his life,” Edinho told reporters. “He is still fighting. Our family prays a lot for him and we hope that recover”.
Edinho, who played in goal for Santos in the 1990s, said he did not know if his father saw Londrina’s 1-0 win over Tubarao in the Paraná state championship. “I confess I don’t know,” Edinho said. “But he’s going to find out once I tell him. Above all, we are encouraging him to recover as soon as possible.”
Edinho, 51, is normally Londrina’s Under-20 coach but was temporarily in charge of the first team for Sunday’s match. He is expected to return to his normal duties next week with the arrival of a new first-team coach.
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