Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sep 15: Doctors say the condition of former Brazil captain Socrates has improved, and that he is conscious and breathing on his own.
Doctors at the Albert Einstein hospital said in a statement Wednesday that Socrates has been taken off a ventilator although he remains in an intensive care unit, in stable condition.
The 57-year-old former Brazil player was hospitalized last week for the second time because of internal bleeding caused by high blood pressure in the vein that carries blood from the digestive system to the liver.
Socrates, who has always acknowledged being a heavy drinker, captained Brazil in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups and is a popular columnist and television commentator in the South American country. AP
