Edmundo free after TV drama

Edmundo, the volatile Brazilian footballer, walked free from a hotel in Ecuador where he had been confined for nearly four days after smashing a television camera, Brazilian television reported yesterday.

Edmundo, whose club Palmeiras of So Paulo has agreed to pay a $10,000 (£6,500) fine, told reporters in Guayaquil that he had learned a lesson from his ordeal.

"This chapter in the life of Edmundo has ended and it will be as if there's a new player in the Palmeiras team," he said.

Edmundo, who is expected to return to Brazil today was placed under hotel arrest on Friday for kicking and smashing a television camera after Palmeiras lost a Libertadores Cup match against Nacional, of Quito, earlier in the week.

Edmundo had failed to convert a penalty during the match. Last year, the striker was banned for four games and 30 days for fighting with two players during a derby match against So Paulo.