1978 World Cup: Third place
1982 World Cup: Fifth place (Round 2)
1986 World Cup: Quarter-finals
1974 Brazilian Footballer of the Year - Placar Magazine (Brazil)
1974 - Set a goal record in a single season as a C.R. Flamengo
player - 49 goals
1976 - Set a goal record in a single season as a C.R. Flamengo
player - 56 goals
1977 South American Footballer of the Year - El Mundo
(Venezuela)
1980 Brazilian Championship Top Scorer - 21 goals
1981 Libertadores Cup Top Scorer - 11 goals
1981 Intercontinental Cup Best Player
1981 South American Footballer of the Year - El Mundo
(Venezuela)
1981 World Footballer of the Year - Guerin Esportivo (Italy), El
Balón (Spain), El Mundo (Venezuela), Placar Magazine (Brazil)
1982 Brazilian Championship Top Scorer - 20 goals
1982 Brazilian Top Scorer of the year - 59 goals
1982 Brazilian Footballer of the Year - Placar Magazine (Brazil)
1982 South American Footballer of the Year - El Gráfico
(Argentina), El Mundo (Venezuela)
83/84 Second highest scorer of the Italian League - 19 goals
1983 Player of the Year - World Soccer Magazine (England)
1992 - Set a record of goals in matches in a row in the J-League
- 11 goals in 10 matches in a row
Top Scorer in Flamengo's History - 508 goals
Biography
Arthur Antunes Coimbra (born in March 3, 1953), better known as
Zico, was a famous Brazilian football sensation and one of the
best midfielders the world's ever seen. He was named by Pelé as
one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004 and
is often considered to have been the best Brazilian player after
Pelé and Garrincha. Zico represented his country in the 1978,
1982 and 1986 World Cups, and scored 52 goals in 72 matches for
Brazil. He was choosen 1983 Player of the Year and is
considererd one of the best players in football history to have
never won the World Cup. He was Brazil's top scorer in their
1982 World Cup campaign, in a team considered one of the best
Brazilian National Squads ever. Zico is also particularly famous
for his propensity to score beautiful, sometimes seemingly
impossible, goals.
Zico comes from a lower-middle-class family, in the suburbs of
Quintino, Rio de Janeiro. In common with many Brazilians, he
spent his youth playing football for fun all day and dreaming of
playing professionally at night. While still a teenager, he
caught the attention of the radio reporter Celso Garcia who took
him to a trial at Flamengo, beginning his path towards being one
of the most admired players in history of football.
Physically, he wasn't strong and his history of determination
and discipline began with a hard muscle and body development
program. A combination of hard work and also a special diet
sponsored by his team enabled him to develop a strong body and
become an athlete. This later proved to be essential for his
success.
While at Flamengo, Zico was a key player during the most
glorious period of the team's history. Along with many other
titles, in his first period at Flamengo he led the team to
victory in the 1981 Copa Libertadores, the 1981 Intercontinental
Cup, and three national titles (1980/82/83). On the field, Zico
made goals in all imaginable ways, was also a great assister and
team organizer, and was known for his excellent vision of the
field. He was a two-footed player and an expert at free kicks.
In a multi-million dollar transaction, he was hired to play for
Udinese, in Italy, from 1983 to 1985. Though leaving some
Brazilian fans in sadness, he led Udinese to be among the best
Italian teams. In Italy, Zico had personal disputes against
Juventus's Michel Platini and Napoli's Diego Maradona. In
1983/84 Italian League, Zico scored 19 goals - one less than the
championship top scorer Platini, having played 6 matches less
than the French player.
Unfortunately - from Zico's point of view - Udinese hadn’t won
any relevant competition and Zico eventually went back to Brazil
and Flamengo, sponsored by a group of companies.
On his return, he suffered a knee injury after a violent tackle
from Bangu's defender Marcio Nunes, which interrupted his career
for several months. He played in the 1986 World Cup while still
injured, and missed a penalty during regular time in the match
against France. The match ended in a tie which led to a shootout.
Zico, then, scored his goal and after penalties missed by
Sócrates and Júlio César, Brazil was knocked out. Recovered from
injuries, things improved for Zico in 1987 when he led Flamengo
to their fourth national title. Many consider Zico to be the
best player in Flamengo's history, and his achievements there
inspired the Brazilian singer Jorge Benjor to write a song in
his honour - Camisa 10 da Gávea - helping create the mystique of
the club's number 10.
After Brazil's first presidential election in many years, the
new president Fernando Collor de Mello appointed Zico as his
Minister of Sports. Zico stayed at this political assignment for
about a year and his most important contribution was a piece of
legislation dealing with the business side of sport teams, as
most of the teams in Brazil were (and still are in 2005)
administered more like amateur associations than professional
companies.
Zico interrupted his political assignment to accept a much more
rewarding job, both financially and in happiness: in 1991 he
joined the Sumitomo Metal Industries soccer division (the
present Kashima Antlers). He helped develop from scratch the
formerly small club from Kashima-cho (present-day Kashima city)
into one of Japan's best sides.
Zico’s discipline, talent and professionalism meshed very well
with Japanese culture. He has oriented the Japanese in all
aspects of team development and, as a player, rapidly became a
national idol after some of the most fantastic goals and assists
of his career. He retired as a player in 1994 and became the
technical adviser of Kashima Antlers, sharing his time between
Japan and Brazil. In the following year he founded CFZ (Zico
Football Centre) in Brazil.
