MUNICH, June 17: Bussunda, a Brazilian comedian renowned for his imitations of Ronaldo and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, died on Saturday while in Germany covering the World Cup for Brazil's dominant television network. He was 43.

Bussunda, whose real name was Claudio Besserman Vianna, suffered a heart attack, Brazil's Globo TV news channel reported.

Vianna felt sick after playing soccer outside his hotel in Munich with friends.

He was taken to hospital but efforts to revive him failed.

A Globo TV program director said that Vianna had no history of heart problems and played soccer weekly.

Brazil's soccer association said in a statement that all national team players and staff lamented the death of Bussunda.

It said Ronaldo expressed “his feeling of sadness for the death of a person he admired.”

Vianna is survived by his wife and a daughter.—AP