The ex-footballer and Brazilian senator Romario de Souza was admitted to a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, where he underwent emergency surgery to remove the gallbladder, hospital sources confirmed this Friday.
Romario, 55, was hospitalized on Thursday at the Copa Star hospital in Copacabana, in the southern area of the capital of Rio de Janeiro, and remains under the accompaniment of the medical team, as explained by the hospital, although it did not give further details about his state of health. For its part, the senator’s press office confirmed that the former soccer player, champion with the Brazilian team, scorer and best player in the 1994 World Cup in the United States, was underwent an operation to remove the gallbladder and that the procedure “proceeded without complications”.
“Romario is under observation and should be discharged in the next few days“, said his team in a note. The former footballer and idol of clubs like the Spanish Barcelona rose to politics in 2010 as a federal deputy for the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) and, four years later, was the candidate for senator with the most votes in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with 63.43% of the votes.
As legislator has been characterized by its anti-corruption campaigns in the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), despite being investigated by the authorities for indications of money laundering in banking operations, as well as for the irregular use of resources destined for parliamentary activity. In 2018 he was launched as a candidate to contest the Governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro for the Podemos party, but was defeated in the first round.