Football: Brazilian legend Socrates dies

SAO PAULO: Former Brazil captain Socrates died aged 57 from an intestinal infection. Socrates - who in 1982 captained what is widely regarded as the best Brazil side never to have won the World Cup - was taken to the hospital late Friday after suffering food poisoning. He had already been hospitalised twice in August and September this year with bleeding in his digestive tract, and admitted after these incidents that he had problems with alcohol, especially during his playing days. The Brazilian Football Federation announced that there would be a minute’s silence before all of Sunday’s matches in honour of ‘one of the most brilliant players in the history of the Brazilian national side’.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2011.