Zico

Zico, 2009

Zico ( born March 3, 1953 in Rio de Janeiro; Arthur Antunes Coimbra actually ) is a former Brazilian football player and current coach.

Zico was called the "White Pelé " and was one of the most popular players in Brazil in the 1970s and 1980s. In 88 international matches of both playing Zico scored 66 goals. He played from 1971 to 1983 and from 1985 to 1989 at Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro. In the meantime he was in Italy at Udinese Calcio under contract. As Pele he wore in the club like in the national team 's legendary number 10

His specialty was free kicks from 18 to 30 meters. He is still considered one of the best free-kick shooters ever. From Pele, he was included in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers.

• 2.1 Kashima Antlers
• 2.2 Brazil
• 2.3 Japan
• 2.4 Fenerbahce
• 2.5 Bunjodkor Tashkent
• 2.6 CSKA Moscow
• 2.7 Olympiakos Piraeus
• 2.8 Iraq
• 2.9 Qatar, Al - Gharafa

• 3.1 Brazil
• 3.2 With its clubs
• 3.3 Awards
• 3.4 successes as a coach
• 3.5 Awards as coach

Career as a player

National Team, World Championships

His international star went on at the Football World Cup 1978 in Argentina, but he stood still in the shadow of his predecessor in the central midfield position, Roberto Rivelino. The tournament was generally unlucky for Brazil. In the group match against Sweden Brazil got a corner just before the end. The ball was flanked in the box and Zico headed the ball into the goal, but the hit did not count because the referee had blown when the ball is in the air was .. Brazil finished second in the group, only the second place and came into the second final round group with hosts Argentina. In the first match of the second round against Peru Zico scored a penalty goal shortly after coming off the bench. After a draw against Argentina goal difference as to who should make the final decision. Argentina defeated Peru 6-0. Brazil was under coach Claudio Coutinho - the Zico also successfully should train at Flamengo later - World Cup bronze medalist, but Zico sat in the match for third place on the substitutes' bench.

During the football World Cup in Spain in 1982, he then went as the world's best midfielder of the time and Brazil was the clear title favorite, although the actually provided Careca striker Reinaldo were injured. Zico was next Sócrates, Falcão and Toninho Cerezo one of the " Fantastic Four ", which featured perhaps the best Brazilian midfielder of all time and compensated for the loss of the striker by -budgetary many goals from midfield. Zico himself scored in the tournament four of the 15 Brazilian goals. Brazil reached confidently expected the second final round. There, the Seleção defeated the defending champions Argentina to the young Diego Maradona clearly with 3:1, but in the decisive game of the second final round was sensational Brazil failed in 2:3 the eventual champions Italy, who had appeared hitherto somewhat disappointing and only by three had qualified for the final round draw. This defeat is true in Brazil since the tragedy of Sarria. The occurrence of Brazil in this classic game made ​​after heated debates: a draw would have been enough to get ahead and reach the semi-finals; with the score at 2-2 played the Brazilian national team, also encouraged by the offensive philosophy of their coach Telê Santana, however, continue to win. Despite the defeat, the team from 1982 in addition to the team of World Cup 1970, which won the third world title for Brazil, Mexico, is still regarded as the best Brazil team of all time. Zico himself said on several occasions regret at the failure to Italy, " the day on which the football died " and the subsequent development towards tactically oriented force football: " The dream team was the best Brazilian Seleção all time. Our failure was bad for the world football because that has developed in the wrong direction. If ... Brazil would have won in 1982, the football would have changed. "

With the Football World Cup 1986 in Mexico Zico was still one of the best players in the world, however, had passed its zenith. After knee surgery not yet thrown back to full fitness and stamina, he was missing in most games and came on only in the second half. But he could also bring about any dramatic turnaround in the quarter-final match against France. On as a substitute in the 72nd minute for Mueller, he failed in the 82nd -minute penalty at the French keeper Joël Bats and retired with the Seleção again prematurely - even if only in a penalty shootout in which he finally has converted his penalty. France won 5-4 after penalties in a game that is also considered one of the best in World Cup history.

Flamengo

Zico played almost his entire career at Flamengo Rio de Janeiro. He scored 568 goals in 765 games here, which corresponds to an average of 0.74 goals per game. He was wearing since the beginning of his active career the legendary number 10 with Flamengo he was four times Brazilian football champions (1980, 1982, 1983 and 1987). He also won the 1981 first and only World Cup for Flamengo; in this game, he was elected the best player. The premium for it, he divided the team. In 1974 and 1982, he was awarded the Bola de Ouro, the annual award for the best Brazilian player.

Udinese Calcio

As Zico in 1983 after Italy joined Udinese Calcio, he brought the club a lot of quality. The city and the club got its arrival with a huge boost. Witness to this change was the Italian journalist Luigi Maffei, who worked for the "Il Gazzettino de Veneza ": "For us Friulian Zico is a Ferrari engine in a VW Beetle. We are the only ones in the world that have such a great and almost impossible Auto ".

Fans demanded Zico vehemently and even threatened to come rather under Austrian rule ( Friuli was until 1866 under Austrian rule ) to play than without Zico. On his arrival in Udine about 2,000 people were waiting at the airport. Michel Platini criticized later Zico change there, since the association Zico no longer offers adequate opportunities for title wins.

Zico was active at Udinese Calcio as a striker. In one season, he had only one goal behind the top scorer of Italy, but who had played ten games more.

Statistics

Career as a coach

The next Michel Platini, Falcao and Diego Maradona world's best midfielder of his time ended his career without a world championship title in 1990 for the first time and worked for a short time in the Brazilian Sports Ministry to go shortly thereafter as Active to Kashima Antlers in the Japanese J. League.

Kashima Antlers

In 1994 he moved to the dugout and was Technical Director of Kashima. With Zico Kashima managed permanent promotion from the second to the first Japanese League, which is why this little town eventually also a venue for the World Cup 2002.

Brazil

In 1998, Zico and assistant athletic director at the Brazilian national team.

Japan

After the 2002 World Cup, Zico took over as coach of the Japanese national team by Frenchman Philippe Troussier, who led the previously third-rate team to the second round. Zico, who does not speak Japanese, the high expectations of the Japanese public was initially still meet, among others, with several Kanter wins in the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup 2006. However The tournament itself was a disappointing one for Japan.

Fenerbahce

On 4 July 2006, Zico coach of Fenerbahce. In the season 2006/ 07 he became champion with Fenerbahçe and reached in the 2007/ 08 season with the club the quarterfinals of the European Champions League. The Brazilian ex -National player resigned his post after failed negotiations with Fenerbahçe on 10 June 2008 again.

Bunjodkor Tashkent

From September 2008 to January 2009 was Zico Coach of Bunjodkor Tashkent.

CSKA Moscow

In January 2009, Zico was coach of Russian club, but remained only until September 2009.

Olympiakos Piraeus

From September 2009, Zico was coach of the Greek football team Olympiacos Piraeus. In addition to the Championship play Olympiakos 2009/2010 and in the Champions League. On 19 January 2010, he was made redundant from Olympiakos.

Iraq

In August 2011, he took over the Iraqi national football team, he signed a one-year contract with the Football Association of the country from. On November 27, 2012, Zico announced his resignation as Iraqi coach.

Qatar, Al - Gharafa

Since August 2013, Zico manager of Al- Gharafa, a Qatarischen Club.

Achievements / Title

With Brazil

• World Cup bronze medalist in 1978

With its clubs

Awards

Success as a coach

• 2004 Asian Cup with Japan
• 2007 Turkish soccer champions Fenerbahçe Istanbul
• 2007 Turkish Super Cup Winner with Fenerbahçe Istanbul
• 2008 quarter-finals of the Champions League with Fenerbahçe Istanbul
• 2009 Russian Cup winner CSKA Moscow
• 2009 Russian Super Cup winner with CSKA Moscow

Awards as coach

• 2007 Best Turkish coach of the century with Fenerbahce

Policy

From 1990 until 1991, during the presidency of Fernando Collor, Zico sports ministers.

Quotes

Muricy Ramalho, coach of FC Sao Paulo 2006: Zico was the best and most complete player I 've ever seen on a football field. Source: www.terra.com.br, Interview March 3, 2006

Zico: A nice free kick is like a beautiful picture of a great painter.

Trivia

The current table tennis Olympic gold medalist and world champion Zhang Jike was originally supposed to be a professional soccer player according to the will of his father Zhang Chuanming why this his son named after Zico.