Rio de Janeiro: Former FIFA president Joao Havelange has been admitted to an intensive care unit with heart and breathing problems.

This comes three weeks after the 95-year-old Brazilian was hospitalized for a serious bacterial infection in his joints.

Joao Mansur Filho, a doctor at Rio de Janeiro's Samaritano hospital, said Havelange was breathing with the aid of a ventilator after suffering "cardiac and respiratory insufficiency" Monday.

He had been released from hospital last week after responding well to antibiotics prescribed for his septic arthritis, Xinhua reported.

Havelange led FIFA from 1974 to 1998. Under his leadership FIFA grew from a small organization with a handful of employees to a multi-billion-dollar sporting and global brand.

His career was tainted by allegations of corruption, including claims he received kickbacks from former FIFA marketing partner ISL, which he had denied. (IANS)