Sao Paulo, Aug 29: Vasco da Gama coach Ricardo Gomes suffered a stroke during a Brazilian league match and was hospitalized in serious condition Sunday.
Hospital Pasteur released a statement saying the former Brazil defender is sedated in an intensive care unit and is not breathing fully on his own. Local media
reported the coach will need emergency surgery to try to stop the bleeding in his brain.
Gomes fell ill about 20 minutes into the second half of Vasco's 0-0 draw with Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro and had to be taken from the Engenhao stadium in an ambulance.
He was having difficulty standing up and nearly passed out at the dugout, prompting doctors from both clubs to rush in to help. Several people had to carry Gomes into the ambulance so he could be transported to the hospital.
The 46-year-old coach had already sustained a minor stroke after a match last year.
Gomes previously coached Sao Paulo and French clubs Paris Saint-Germain and AC Monaco.
He also played in defense for the Brazilian national team in the late 1980s and early 1990s. AP
