Zico

Club career

For the first time, Zico's talent was discovered by journalist Nelson Garcia, who worked as a Flamengo scout. He brought a 14-year-old boy to this club. But then a problem arose: Ziko weighed only 37 kg, and it was hard for him to fight in martial arts. Under the leadership of Roberto Francalacci, Zico, working in the gym and taking special medications , gained 16 kg from 1967 to 1970, and another 13 years. In Flamengo, Zico spent most of his career becoming the top scorer in club history.

In 1976, players wanted to buy Real Madrid , in 1982 - Barcelona , Juventus and Fiorentina , but in 1983 Zico switched to the modest Udinese . In the very first season, Zico, because of which 30 thousand seasonal subscriptions were quickly sold out, scored 19 goals, only one goal behind the season's top scorer - Platini - and scoring the most from the newcomers in the first season in Serie A (in The 1990s Ronaldo will break this record). However, in 1985, Zico was forced to leave Europe due to tax problems.

Zico returned to Flamengo and played in this club until 1989, then work began as a football player in the Brazilian government. On March 27, 1989, Zico played his farewell match for Udinese against the world team .

However, in 1991, Zico left for Japan, where the J-League was born. In 1993, its first season started, Zico Kashima Antlers club won one of two championship circles and the other Kawasaki Verdi . In the first super final, Zico's rivals won 2-0, in the second Antlers won 1-0, they could have scored more, but they got a penalty. Zico, having no control over his nerves, spat on the ball, which stood "on point", he was removed from the field, but this ball still flew into the goal, and the score was equalized. Then Zico transferred to the position of Technical Director of Antlers. In front of the entrance to the Antlers Stadium is a bronze monument to Zico.

Team appearances

Despite the fact that Zico noticeably gained weight in the early 1970s, the head coach of the Brazilian national team Mario Zagallo decided not to take him to the 1974 World Cup , considering him not strong enough. As a result, the athletic team Zagallo, playing football unusual for Brazilians, took only 4th place.

This coach was replaced by Coutinho , an army officer with the rank of captain , who instilled a barracks spirit in the team. Nevertheless, it was with him that the “free artist” Zico made his debut in the team: this happened on February 25, 1976. The performance of Zico and the entire Brazil national team at the 1978 World Cup left a controversial impression. On the one hand, the Brazilians barely left the group and took only third place, becoming the main disappointment of the tournament, on the other hand, they did not suffer a single defeat. Zico, although he entered the field in the starting lineup only once and was criticized by the coach after the match with the Swedes , nevertheless, Pele , who played the role of a commentator at this championship, did not agree with Coutinho’s opinion, moreover, at the very end of the second half of this match Brazilians gave a corner, Zico hit the ball with his head, and while he was flying, a judge from Wales Thomas sent teams to the locker room, and then the ball flew to the goal and was in the net, but the goal was not scored.

Nevertheless, in Brazil, the team’s performance was perceived as a defeat, and Tele Santana , a supporter of the traditional national style of the game, implying a technical and vibrant game in attack, was appointed to the position of coach. Brazil played well at the 1982 World Cup : in the first group round, the USSR national team was defeated, Scotland was defeated (Zico scored in the nine , the ball bounced off the crosspiece into the goal) and New Zealand (Zico scored by hitting through himself ). However, in the second group round, the Brazilians were not able to defeat the Italians .

Tele Santana returned to the post of national team coach before the start of the qualifying games of the next 1986 World Cup and immediately returned Zico and other veterans to the squad. This World Cup was the last for Zico as a football player. He went to Mexico, unable to resist a leg injury that was not healed, and Santana did not let him out on the field in the first two matches, despite the chanting by the stands of the football player's name. In the third match against Northern Ireland, Zico came out at the very end of the match, but was able to make an assist with his heel, “cutting off” the entire defense of the opponent, after which Kareka brought the score to a crushing one. In the next match against the Poles (1/8 finals) Zico again came on as a substitute 2-0, gave an assist to Edinho and earned a penalty. In the quarter finals, the Brazilians opposed the French , this match is considered the best played in this tournament. Zico replaced again in the second half. Almost immediately after his brilliant pass, Branko earned a penalty. Exhausted in the Mexican heat by the end of normal time, Socrates suggested breaking fresh Zico. Goalkeeper Bat fended off the shot, and there was 10 minutes left until the end of the regular time ... In the penalty shoot-out, Zico again approached the ball and sent it into the net this time, which, however, did not help the team win: the Europeans went on.

Public Service

In March 1990, Zico was appointed Minister of Sports of Brazil and held it until April 1991. A few years later, this position will take Pele .

Coaching career

Zico began his coaching career with the post of technical director of the Japanese club Kashima Antlers , which he held in 1995. In 1998, Zico helped Mario Zagallo , who led the Brazilian national team during the 1998 World Cup . Then Zico returned to work with Kashima. In the summer of 2002, Zico led the Japanese team , won the Asian Cup 2004 with her, brought this team to the 2006 World Cup , where he could not leave the group. From 2006 to 2008, he headed the Turkish Fenerbahçe , with whom he won the 2006/07 Turkish Championship and 2007 Super Cup .

In September 2008, he signed a contract with the Uzbek club Bunyodkor ^[6] .

January 9, 2009 Zico signed a contract with Moscow CSKA ^{[7] [8]} . For the first six months of work, the team under his leadership won two trophies - the Super Bowl and the Cup of Russia . At the same time, CSKA suffered a series of defeats from the teams of the second half of the table and took off from the 2009/10 Cup of Russia at the 1/16 final stage, losing to the club of the first division of FC Ural .

On September 10, 2009, as CSKA mentor, he was replaced by Juande Ramos . On September 16, Zico led the Greek Olympiacos ^[9] . On January 19, 2010, after a series of unsuccessful matches, Zico's team was dismissed ^[10] . In the last three matches, the team scored only one point, allowing the leader of the Greek championship “ Panathinaikos ” to increase the advantage to seven points. He was temporarily replaced by Bozhidar Bandovich .

On May 31, 2010, Zico was appointed Executive Director of Flamengo ^[11] . October 1, he resigned from this post. “In Flamengo, I could not do everything that I intended. I noticed that my presence at the club caused discontent of many people. They criticized my decisions, pressed me through my sons. I could not continue this cowardly hostility and was forced to leave, ”said Zico ^[12] .

Big football

• Libertadores Cup Winner: 1981.
• Intercontinental Cup Winner: 1981
• World Championship bronze medalist: 1978 .
• Silver medalist (coach) of the 1998 World Cup.
• Champion of Brazil : (4) 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987.
• Rio de Janeiro State Champion : (7) 1972, 1974, 1978, 1979 (c), 1979 (o), 1981, 1986.
• Champion of Japan : 1993.

Beach football

• Beach Soccer World Champion : 1995.
• Beach Soccer America Cup Winner: 1995, 1996.

• The best football player in South America : (3) 1977, 1981, 1982.
• The best football player in the world (according to the magazine " World soccer "): 1983.
• The best football player of the Italian Series A : 1984.
• The best football player in Brazil : (2) 1974, 1982.
• Best Intercontinental Cup Player: 1981 .
• The best player in the World Beach Soccer Championship : 1995.
• Top scorer of the state championship of Rio-same-Janeiro ( League of Carioca ): (4) 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982
• The best scorer of the championships of Brazil : (2) 1980 (21 goals), 1982 (21 goals).
• Top scorer of the Libertadores Cup : 1981 .
• Top scorer of the Beach Soccer World Cup : 1995.
• Top scorer in the history of the stadium " Maracana " - 333 goals.
• The best scorer in the history of Flamengo - 509 goals.
• Second place in goals in the history of the Carioca League 239 goals.
• Winner of the Bronze Football Boot of the World Cup : 1982
• Member of the World Championships 1978 , 1982 , 1986 , 1998 (coach)
• In 1974, Zico set the Flamengo club record for the number of goals scored in one season (49), and in 1976 he himself beat him (56).
• Zico takes the second place in the number of matches played for Flamengo - 731 games.
• The record of the Japanese championship in the length of a series of games in which the player did not leave the field without a goal - 11 goals in 10 matches (1992).
• The 14th world footballer in the 20th century according to IFFIIS .
• 7th footballer of South America of the XX century according to IFFHS .
• Included in the list of " FIFA 100 " and " List of the greatest football players of the XX century " of the magazine " World Soccer " (No. 18).

• Champion of Turkey : 2006/07
• Turkish Super Cup Winner: 2007
• Asian Cup Winner: 2004
• Champion of Uzbekistan : 2008
• Uzbekistan Cup Winner: 2008
• Winner of the Russian Super Cup : 2009
• Russian Cup Winner: 2008/2009
• Member of the World Championships 1998 , 2006

• Goldes I.V. Zico: White Pele // Goldes I.V. 100 legends of world football. Second issue. - M .: New business, 2003 .-- 216 p. - (Full illustrated football story). - 3000 copies. - ISBN 5-98107-001-3 . - S. 29-35.