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Zico: Brazil must use World Cup to heal rift between nation and the team Zico: Brazil must use World Cup to heal rift between nation and the team
(about 1 hour later)
Five World Cup titles over five decades have left Brazil with a wide selection of champions of all sizes, ages and colours, who understandably squeeze out trophyless legends from ceremonial roles regarding the country's upcoming second hosting of the tournament. But Arthur Antunes Coimbra is not complaining. Albeit a veteran of three unsuccessful Seleção campaigns, he is getting enough media attention to make any of his more garlanded colleagues jealous. Five World Cup titles over five decades have left Brazil with a wide selection of champions of all sizes, ages and colours, who understandably squeeze out trophyless legends from ceremonial roles regarding the country's second hosting of the tournament. But Arthur Antunes Coimbra is not complaining. The veteran of three unsuccessful Seleção campaigns, he nevertheless is getting enough attention to make any of his more garlanded colleagues jealous.
Zico, however, wouldn't touch with a bargepole a place in the organising committee, after his experience as leading man of Brazil's ill-fated bid to host to the 2006 tournament, which was curtailed by a voting deal with South Africa with the connivance of the Brazilian FA's president, Ricardo Teixeira, and without Zico's knowledge. Zico, however, would not touch with a bargepole a place on the organising committee after his experience as leading man of Brazil's ill-fated bid to host to the 2006 tournament, which was curtailed by a voting deal with South Africa with the connivance of the Brazilian FA's president, Ricardo Teixeira, and without Zico's knowledge. "While the team and I were touring the globe trying to amass support for the bid the president decided to pull the bloody plug and do some horse-trading with South Africa without giving us the courtesy of a heads-up. We never spoke again after that," says Zico.
"While the team and I were touring the globe trying to amass support for the bid, the president decided to pull the bloody plug and do some horse trading with South Africa without giving us the courtesy of a heads-up. We never spoke again after that," says Zico. The reason why the former Flamengo, Udinese and Kashima Antlers player decides to start his hour-long conversation with the Guardian – for whom he will write throughout the World Cup – by revisiting one of his less treasured memories, is simple. Although Teixeira has been instrumental in securing the tournament's return to Brazil for the first time in 64 years, Zico does not let a grudge affect his support for the project.
The reason why the former Flamengo, Udinese and Kashima Antlers player decides to start his hour long conversation with the Guardian, for whom he will write throughout the World Cup, by revisiting one of his less treasured memories is simple. Although Teixeira has been instrumental in securing the tournament's return to Brazil for the first time in 64 years, Zico doesn't let a grudge affect his support for the project. Unlike fellow legends such as Romário – who went from World Cup poster boy to one of its most vocal critics – the 61-year-old still believes his country deserved the opportunity. "For its history in the game, Brazil was overdue a second World Cup. In 1950, when it took place here, the country was by no means what it represents in football today, so it was about time the tournament came back here. Regardless of my problems with Teixeira, I never spoke against it. On the contrary, I always had support for having a modern World Cup in Brazil." Unlike fellow legends such as Romário – who went from World Cup posterboy to one of its most vocal critics – the 61-year-old still believes his country deserves the opportunity. "For its history in the game, Brazil was overdue a second World Cup. In 1950, when it took place here, the country was by no means what it represents in football today, so it was about time the tournament came back here.
Which doesn't mean Zico hasn't got problems with how Brazil is staging Fifa flagship competition. Apart from obvious disapproval regarding delays and spiralling costs – a recent report estimates that stadium construction and upgrade costs have jumped 300% since Brazil was awarded the World Cup in October 2007 – the man who served as the country's first government sports czar in the early 90s rues what he sees as gross project failures. "We should not have left things until the last minute, because this is also the reason why the new stadiums, which Brazilian football badly needed, are costing much more than the organising committee announced. The people also expected the urban development works to be ready on time too, which is not going to happen. It's a huge missed opportunity and people got angry." "Regardless of my problems with Teixeira, I never spoke against it. On the contrary, I always had support for having a modern World Cup in Brazil."
Nonetheless, in analysing the violent protests that marred last year's Confederations Cup and threaten to be as regular as scenes of supporters wearing silly hats during the World Cup, Zico believes some of those opposing the tournament are guilty of opportunism. "I would like to see people protesting every day instead of simply during the World Cup. Because the fact is that the competition is happening and all of a sudden I don't see the same joy around as in previous tournaments, where people decorated the streets with bunting and everything. We need to make this tournament special for the right reasons, because Brazil has a duty to deliver the World Cup. I am not against protesting but perhaps it is time for a truce." Which doesn't mean Zico has got no problems with how Brazil is staging Fifa's flagship competition. Apart from obvious disapproval regarding delays and spiralling costs – a recent report estimates that stadium construction and upgrade costs have jumped 300% since Brazil was awarded the World Cup in October 2007 – the man who served as the country's first government sports tsar in the early 90s rues what he sees as project failures. "We should not have left things until the last minute because this is also the reason why the new stadiums, which Brazilian football badly needed, are costing much more than the organising committee announced. The people also expected the urban development works to be ready on time too, which is not going to happen. It's a huge missed opportunity and people got angry."
Zico reckons that truce would be easier negotiated if the Seleção was not so much a virtual team for many Brazilians these days. While the storied 1982 World Cup side of which he was the leading light had only two players (Falcão and Dirceu) based abroad, the class of 2014 is not only dominated by expats (Luiz Felipe Scolari's 23-man squad has only four "domestic" players) but contains a number of regulars – David Luiz, Dani Alves, Marcelo, Luiz Gustavo, Hulk – who developed their talent abroad and never featured regularly for Brazilian clubs. Added to the fact that Brazil play the bulk of their friendlies abroad in order to avoid bickering with European clubs – creating handsome paydays for the FA, the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol, in the process – and you get what Zico calls a lack of familiarity between team and public. Nonetheless, in analysing the violent protests that marred last year's Confederations Cup and threaten to be as regular an occurrence as scenes of supporters wearing silly hats during the tournament, Zico believes some of those opposing it are guilty of opportunism. "I would like to see people protesting every day instead of simply during the World Cup. Because the fact is that the competition is happening and all of a sudden I don't see the same joy around as in previous tournaments, where people decorated the streets with bunting and everything. We need to make this tournament special for the right reasons, because Brazil has a duty to deliver the World Cup. I am not against protesting but perhaps it is time for a truce."
"A lot of people talk about what the 1982 team did on the pitch but that side was so dear to Brazilian fans also because it featured players that supporters would see in flesh and bone on a regular basis, either at games or even on the streets. Now they basically only see the Seleção on the TV. It is even worse with the current side, because they did not have to play the qualifiers. There is a distance that prevents proper bonding." That can be a big deal for crowds as demanding as the Brazilians. Last year, the tear-jerking renditions of the national anthem at the Confederations Cup final led Spain's manager, Vicente Del Bosque, to give credit to the crowd after the world and European champions were steamrollered by Scolari's side at the Maracanã. But just a couple of months earlier vicious treatment of the team during a 2-2 draw with Chile in Belo Horizonte, where Neymar was singled out with boos and cries of the Portuguese equivalent of "bottler", led the captain, Thiago Silva, to beg fans to give the players a break. Zico reckons that truce would be easier negotiated if the Seleção was not so much a virtual team for many Brazilians these days. While the storied 1982 World Cup side of which he was the leading light had only two players (Falcão and Dirceu) based abroad, the class of 2014 is not only dominated by expats (Luiz Felipe Scolari's 23-man squad has only four "domestic" players) but contains a number of regulars – David Luiz, Dani Alves, Marcelo, Luiz Gustavo, Hulk – who developed their talent abroad and never featured regularly for Brazilian clubs.
"This has always been typical behaviour from Brazilian fans, even in my day, but if you are not used to the crowd booing it can be pretty daunting. Fortunately, the Confederations Cup title helped to endear this group to the public," says Zico. Unlike some former Seleção stars, he is not overly pessimistic about Brazil's chances of a sixth trophy and the opportunity to at least dilute the painful memories of the 1950 defeat to Uruguay at the same Maracanã stadium that will host the 2014 final. Added to the fact that Brazil play the bulk of their friendlies abroad in order to avoid bickering with European clubs – creating handsome paydays for the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol in the process – and you get what Zico calls a lack of familiarity between team and public. "A lot of people talk about what the 1982 team did on the pitch but that side was so dear to Brazilian fans also because it featured players that supporters would see in flesh and bone on a regular basis, either at games or even on the streets. Now they basically only see the Seleção on the TV.
"Scolari's Brazil is a team that is very strong collectively, they put opponents under pressure. They go for the jugular from the start and try to get an early goal instead of waiting to counterattack. That helps with the supporters, who appreciate the boldness. My biggest worry is that this is a group where 17 out of 23 players have never played in a World Cup and two-thirds of our likely starting XI haven't even taken part in a qualifying campaign. That cannot be replaced by Champions League games, I'm afraid. But these are good players who as a group have become very tough to beat." "It is even worse with the current side, because they did not have to play the qualifiers. There is a distance that prevents proper bonding." That can be a big deal for crowds as demanding as Brazilians. Last year the tear-jerking renditions of the national anthem at the Confederations Cup final led Spain's manager, Vicente Del Bosque, to give credit to the crowd after the world and European champions were steamrollered by Scolari's side at the Maracanã.
Much has been said about how the draw could force a meeting between Brazil and Spain in the first knockout game but Zico scoffs at such fears. "You can't win the World Cup without playing the big boys. Indeed the draw has pitfalls, but you have to remember the European countries will have to handle the experience of playing in South America. Brazil have shown composure and the players understood the responsibility that comes with playing a World Cup at home." But just a couple of months earlier vicious treatment of the team during a 2-2 draw with Chile in Belo Horizonte, where Neymar was singled out with boos and cries of the Portuguese equivalent of "bottler", led the captain, Thiago Silva, to beg fans to give the players a break. "This has always been typical behaviour from Brazilian fans, even in my day, but if you are not used to the crowd booing it can be pretty daunting. Fortunately, the Confederations Cup title helped to endear this group to the public," says Zico.
The fourth-highest scorer in Seleção history (with 52 goals in 72 games) does not believe that Neymar, the totem of the 2014 generation, will be more anxious than his peers. "Neymar is in a different situation than Lionel Messi. Messi has Argentina built around him, while the Seleção is not as dependent on Neymar. Neymar will be instrumental if Brazil want to go far and he has not had any serious injuries. People say that all the controversy around his transfer has affected him but I see a simple case of Neymar having to adapt to a change of country and a move to a club [Barcelona] where the manager [Gerardo Martino] sometimes insists on playing him out of position". Unlike some former Seleção favourites, he is not overly pessimistic about Brazil's chances of a sixth trophy and the chance to at least dilute the painful memories of the 1950 loss to Uruguay at the same Maracanã stadium that will host the 2014 final.
Speaking of Messi, Zico sees Argentina as the biggest danger to the home nation. "They found a way to get the best of Messi and they have an absurd amount of attacking players. Their group is not difficult and they will travel much less than other teams. He also thinks Spain and Germany are obvious contenders, warns about Italy's resurgence and predicts a few shocks. "The South American sides will cause some surprises. I think Chile might well qualify ahead of Holland in Group B and Uruguay gave Brazil a scare in the Confederations Cup." That is not necessarily horrendous news for England, as Zico sees their group being decided Costa Rica. "Italy, England and Uruguay are traditional teams and they will probably take points off each other, which would make their results against Costa Rica very, very important." "Scolari's Brazil is a team that is very strong collectively; they put opponents under pressure. They go for the jugular from the start and try to get an early goal instead of waiting to counterattack. That helps with the supporters, who appreciate the boldness. My biggest worry is that this is a group where 17 out of 23 players have never played in a World Cup and two-thirds of our likely starting XI haven't even taken part in a qualifying campaign. That cannot be replaced by Champions League games, I'm afraid. But these are good players who as a group have become very tough to beat."
Never shy of complaining about negative tactics, Zico disagrees with claims that Scolari's adaptation of Bayern Munich's high pressing game is "un-Brazilian". "The Seleção has been playing well and I like the way they closed Spain down last year. Football nowadays demands teams attacking and defending more collectively than ever." He draws a comparison with the recent clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. "Carlo Ancelotti [Real's manager] was criticised in the first game for sitting back too much but it makes sense when you have sprinters like Ronaldo and Bale, who are lethal on the break. But it is also nonsense to say Bayern's defeat represents the end of tiki-taka. I don't think Pep Guardiola needs to remind anyone of how many trophies he won playing this way. He still made it to a Champions League semi-final. Mistakes were made but it doesn't meant a style needs to be killed." Much has been said about how the draw could force a meeting between Brazil and Spain in the first knockout game but Zico scoffs at such fears. "You can't win the World Cup without playing the big boys. Indeed, the draw has pitfalls, but you have to remember the European countries will have to handle the experience of playing in South America. Brazil have shown composure and the players understood the responsibility that comes with playing a World Cup at home."
Stylistic consistency is something he has repeated almost to exhaustion in recent decades. Part of the side that in 1982 failed to win the World Cup but won plaudits for their elegance on the ball, Zico is adamant that the epic 3-2 defeat to Italy in Barcelona 32 years ago was not unfair but did send the wrong message. "Italy played well when it matters but that should not have invalidated our approach to the game. The fact people still remember ours and the Dutch 1974 squads, for example, shows that there is no shame in dying while being faithful to a philosophy where the result was not an obsession." The fourth-highest scorer in Seleção history (with 52 goals in 72 games) does not believe that the totem of the 2014 generation, will be more anxious than his peers. "Neymar is in a different situation than Lionel Messi. Messi has Argentina's team built around him while the Seleção is not as dependent on Neymar. Neymar will be instrumental if Brazil want to go far and he has not had any serious injuries. People say that all the controversy around his transfer has affected him but I see a simple case of Neymar having to adapt to a change of country and a move to a club [Barcelona] where the manager [Gerardo Martino] sometimes insists on playing him out of position".
As well as three World Cups as a player (1978, 82, and 86) and one as Mário Zagallo's assistant manager (1998), Zico has a World Cup managerial experience on his CV. It was in Germany 2006, where after taking Japan to an Asian Cup title two years before he had to endure the experience of facing his own country. The images of the former Seleção manager singing the Brazilian national anthem in Japan kit showed how mixed his feelings were. "That was horrendous. I would hate to go through that experience again," he recalls. Speaking of Messi, Zico sees Argentina as the biggest danger. "They found a way to get the best of Messi and they have an absurd amount of attacking players. Their group is not difficult [Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria] and they will travel much less than other teams."
Japan failed to win a single game (Brazil hammered them 4-1) and Zico resigned to take over Fenerbahce. His two-year spell at the Turkish club was marked by their 2007-08 Uefa Champions League campaign, where they were narrowly defeated by Chelsea in the quarter-finals. His managerial career never again hit the heights and included stints in Greece, Uzbekistan, Russia and with the Iraqi national team, as well as the Qatari side al-Gharafa, with whom he parted company in January. He also thinks Spain and Germany are obvious contenders, warns about Italy's resurgence and predicts a few shocks. "The South American sides will cause some surprises. I think Chile might well qualify ahead of Holland in Group B and Uruguay gave Brazil a scare in the Confederations Cup." That is not necessarily horrendous news for England, as Zico sees their group being decided by the fourth country, Costa Rica. "Italy, England and Uruguay are traditional teams and they will probably take points off each other which would make their results against Costa Rica very, very important."
Doesn't he miss sitting in the dugout with a World Cup around the corner? "No, I am not in a hurry to return to management at all. It's hard for me to get to grips with how much players have changed since I retired. There are too many annoying habits; the kids are getting rich earlier and earlier, which brings a weird sense of entitlement." Never shy of complaining about negative tactics, Zico disagrees with claims that Scolari's adaptation of Bayern Munich's high pressing game is "un-Brazilian". "The Seleção has been playing well and I like the way they closed Spain down last year. Football nowadays demands teams attacking and defending more collectively than ever."
Not even the Seleção job, which will quite likely be available whether or not Scolari becomes the first man since Italy's Vittorio Pozzo to win the World Cup twice as manager, seems to entice him, principally because he is dismayed by the current technical levels in Brazilian club football and by the fact managerial positions in Brazil have a higher turnover rate than the drummer's job in Spinal Tap. "I have always said that to manage Brazil I would have to be managing in Brazil first. And I am not happy at all with the way things are going here now." A month of hosting the world's biggest sporting festival, he hopes, may begin to alter that. He draws a comparison with the recent clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. "Carlo Ancelotti [Real's manager] was criticised in the first game for sitting back too much but it makes sense when you have sprinters like Ronaldo and [Gareth] Bale, who are lethal on the break. But it is also nonsense to say Bayern's defeat represents the end of tiki-taka. I don't think Pep Guardiola needs to remind anyone of how many trophies he won playing this way. He still made it to a Champions League semi-final. Mistakes were made but it doesn't mean a style needs to be killed."
Stylistic consistency is something he has repeated almost to exhaustion in recent decades. The 1982 side failed to win the World Cup but they still won plaudits for their elegance on the ball, and Zico is adamant that the epic 3-2 defeat to Italy in Barcelona 32 years ago was not unfair but did send the wrong message. "Italy played well when it mattered but that should not have invalidated our approach to the game. The fact people still remember ours and the Dutch 1974 squads, for example, shows that there is no shame in dying while being faithful to a philosophy where the result was not an obsession."
As well as three World Cups as a player (1978, '82, and '86) and one as Mário Zagallo's assistant manager (1998), Zico has a World Cup managerial experience on his CV.
It was in Germany 2006, where after taking Japan to an Asian Cup title two years before he had to endure the experience of facing his own country. The images of the former Seleção player singing the Brazil national anthem in Japan kit showed how mixed his feelings were. "That was horrendous. I would hate to go through that experience again," he recalls.
Japan failed to win a single game (Brazil hammered them 4-1) and Zico resigned to take over Fenerbahce. His two-year spell at the Turkish club was marked by their 2007-08 Champions League campaign, where they were narrowly defeated by Chelsea in the quarter-finals. His managerial career never again hit the heights and included stints in Greece, Uzbekistan, Russia and with the Iraq national team as well as the Qatari side al-Gharafa, with whom he parted company in January.
Does he miss sitting in the dugout, especially with a World Cup round the corner? "No, I am not in a hurry to return to management at all. It's hard for me to get to grips with how much players have changed since I retired. There are too many annoying habits; the kids are getting rich earlier and earlier, which brings a weird sense of entitlement."
Not even the Seleção job, which will quite likely be available whether or not Scolari becomes the first man since Italy's Vittorio Pozzo in 1938 to win the World Cup twice as manager, seems to entice him, principally because he is dismayed by the current technical levels in Brazilian club football and by the fact managerial positions have a higher turnover rate than the drummer's job in Spinal Tap. "I have always said that to manage Brazil I would have to be managing in Brazil first. And I am not happy at all with the way things are going here now." A month of hosting the world's biggest sporting festival, he hopes, may begin to alter that.