ISTANBUL: A member of Turkey’s ruling party has claimed that former Brazil football star Roberto Carlos has converted to Islam, although the retired player has not publicly confirmed the report.
Turkish media reported Thursday that Ali Sahin, a member of Turkey’s parliament, made the claim after meeting representatives of Brazil’s Muslim community in Sao Paulo.
Sahin said Sheikh Jihad Hamadeh, a prominent figure in Brazil’s Muslim community, told him that Carlos visited him about four weeks ago and recited the Shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, in the presence of representatives of several Islamic organizations.
Sahin congratulated Carlos on his reported conversion and expressed his best wishes for the former football star.
However, Carlos, 53, has not issued any public statement confirming that he has converted to Islam.
Carlos is widely regarded as one of the greatest left-backs in football history. He enjoyed a highly successful international career with Brazil and played for several major European clubs, including Real Madrid. He also joined Turkish club Fenerbahce in 2007.