Brazilian and football great Zico urges
Pinoys to learn and to not let go in football
by rick olivares
Arthur Antunes Coimbra known to
the world at large as “Zico” the great football player arrived in Manila Friday,
January 26, for a whirlwind promotional tour for less than 48 hours.
The 64-year old Zico is a guest
of Seven Seas Properties that promotes Philippine real estate and Philippine
stocks in the Japanese market Philippines. The Brazilian made a name for
himself as an attacking midfielder first for Flamengo in his home country, then
Udinese in Italy, and with the national team where he had a brilliant career. After
he hung up his boots, the Brazilian found his second calling in coaching where
he’s had a remarkable career with Fenerbahce in Turkey and Bunyodkor in
Uzbekistan where he led both clubs to multiple championships.
Yet for all his coaching
achievements, it is in Japan where he tasted his biggest international success.
Zico is revered in the Land of the Rising Sun for leading the Blue Samurai to
the 2004 Asian Cup title as well as to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Prior to stopping over at Sparta
(Sports and Recreational Training Arena) along Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong
City to give a talk to participants in the Brazilian Soccer Schools, Zico
dropped by the Manila Cathedral to pray.
“I am a man of faith and religion
plays a large part in my life,” related Zico through an interpreter. “I am
getting older now and I constantly pray to God to give me strength to carry on
in coaching the young. It is also through football that I honor him.”
“The game keeps me young. On the
other hand, the kids today make me feel old,” he joked.
There is much to learn from the
footballer who was voted as the eighth greatest football player of the 20th
Century.
“Although my time in Manila is
short, I hope the kids listen to what I have to say,” underscored Zico. While
coaching Japan’s national team, the Brazilian says he was best able to impart
his knowledge of the game and especially regarding free kicks to Shunsuke
Nakamura who scored one of the best free kick goals in modern football history
for Celtic FC (against Motherwell FC) and Yasuhito Endo who is still playing
for Gamba Osaka in the J. League.
Nakamura was nominated for the
2007 Ballon d’Or Award for the best football player in the world.
And Zico underscored the need to
work hard. “Everybody says, ‘work hard’. But you need to put in a lot of work
if you want to be successful. I trained even when my teammates went home. I
found ways to work even if I was alone.”
With regards to Philippine
football, the Brazilian said that it cannot all be smooth sailing. “Even the
Selecao (Brazil’s national team) has had to endure embarrassment and
difficulties. You have to learn and be patient. And to always work on what you
aren’t good at. That’s life. Do not let what you worked so hard for to fade
away.”
Zico reiterated this message to
the Brazilian Soccer School students. And despite his age, the football great
also but on a simple display of defense to the young kids by stopping one of
them from nutmegging him. He also scored a pair of goals that he accurately
flicked towards the net.
One of the Brazilian Soccer
School coaches, Hector Zaghi who used to play for Socceroo and Laos in the UFL
(he is now also coaching in Ceres FC’s youth academy), was really excited to
meet his compatriot. “As a Brazilian, it is a pleasure to meet him. He’s been
team captain of the national team. I think it is easier to meet them here, in
Brazil, you cannot get close to those people because they are surrounded by a
lot of people. It is a nice feeling to meet an icon. He isn’t just one player.
Zico is an icon.”
Added former Philippine national
player Rely San Agustin who is handling the few Zico in Manila activities, “It
is not much time, but we must learn what we can. When a player of Zico’s
stature talks, you listen.”
This is nice.
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