MADRID – Renowned former defender for Brazil and Real Madrid, Roberto Carlos, has recently undergone heart surgery, according to a report from the Spanish sports daily, Diario AS, published on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old, who currently represents Madrid as an ambassador, was reportedly enjoying a vacation in Brazil when a medical check-up revealed issues with his heart.

Diario AS detailed that Roberto Carlos initially sought medical attention for a minor blood clot in his leg. During this process, a comprehensive MRI scan unveiled that his heart was not operating optimally, leading to his hospitalization for a catheter insertion procedure.

Although the surgery was anticipated to last 40 minutes, it extended to nearly three hours due to unforeseen complications. Nevertheless, AS confirmed that the surgery was ultimately successful.

Roberto Carlos is currently considered out of immediate danger but will remain under medical supervision in the hospital for an additional 48 hours to monitor his recovery.

The newspaper reached out to Roberto Carlos and his team, with the former football star reassuring, “I’m fine now.”

Roberto Carlos, one of the most attacked-minded left backs of all time, won 125 Brazil caps and played for 11 years at Madrid.

He was a member of the World Cup squads which reached the final in 1998 and won in 2002. He also helped Brazil win the Copa America in 1997 and 1999 and won the Champions League three times with Madrid.

Roberto Carlos once produced a stunning “banana” free kick that seemed to defy the law of physics and was analyzed by scientists.

In what many people regard as the best free kick in the history of the game, he struck the ball with the outside of his left foot from 35 yards, bending it around France’s three-man wall during an exhibition tournament in Lyon in 1997.

The shot looked way off target, a ball boy standing 10 yards from the goal even ducked his head, but at the last moment it swerved dramatically into the net. The bewildered France goalkeeper, Fabien Barthez, had not even moved.

Roberto Carlos claimed at the time he had done it all before, against Roma when he was playing for Inter Milan, although he never quite managed to repeat his 1997 trick.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer