Meet the story of Flamengo's new executive director
Flamengo's Official Website Recalls Historic Moments of Zico's Career, Both on and Off the Field
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
It's every Flamengo fan's civic duty to know the career of their greatest idol by heart. But for those students who've never studied the life and career of the Gávea No. 10 in depth, and also for younger fans who haven't had the pleasure of witnessing Zico's brilliant plays, Flamengo's official website has prepared a special special detailing the career of Quintino's "Galinho de Quintino." And for those who already know Arthur Antunes Coimbra well, it's worth remembering the moments of glory he experienced wearing the Sacred Mantle.
This Tuesday, Zico, who won, among other friendly tournament titles, seven State Championships, four Brazilian Championships, the Libertadores, and the World Cup with Flamengo, takes on a role of great responsibility off the field. "Galinho" will be the club's executive director of football. But before reaching this position, he contributed a lot to the Rubro-Negro and also to other areas of sport. Zico scored much more than 509 goals for the Gávea team, and you can see his highlights in this special and also in Galinho's profile on Flapédia.
The puny boy from Quintino
A slight boy from the Quintino neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro's northern zone, Arthurzico attracted attention not only for his constant presence with a ball, but also for his skill in controlling it. Playing futsal for River Futebol Clube and also for Juventude, a team heavily influenced by his family, Arthurzico captivated journalist Celso Garcia.
In 1967, he was taken to Gávea, and few could have imagined that this was the beginning of the story of the greatest idol in the 114-year history of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. Zico only made his debut for the first team in 1971, in a match against Vasco da Gama, which ended 2-1 for the red-and-black team, where the debutant provided the pass for Fio Maravilha to score the winning goal. Three years later, he established himself as a starter and has remained a fixture since, after undergoing intense physical preparation and muscle-strengthening work, due to his previously frail physique, which earned him the affectionate nickname "Quintino's Little Rooster."
Hey, hey, hey, Zico is our king!
But Zico only became the Zico everyone knows today in 1978. Alongside other stars like Adílio, Andrade, and Júnior, he formed the greatest team in the history of red-and-black football. With near-perfect football, Zico won three Rio de Janeiro championships, the club's third. In 1979, the team won the prestigious Ramón de Carranza Friendly Tournament, highlighting a 2-1 victory, in which he scored one of the goals, over a Barcelona side of Johan Neeskens, Allan Simonsen, Hans Krankl, and Carles Rexach.
Later that year, he also scored his 245th goal, in a match against Goytacaz, surpassing Dida as Flamengo's all-time top scorer. And the glories were only beginning. The first Brazilian title would come in 1980, in a historic final against Atlético Mineiro, the Libertadores and the 1981 World Cup, the second in 1982, the third in 1983... But that year, Zico lifted the trophy knowing it would be his last match for Flamengo: the Galinho agreed to move to Udinese and left the nation orphaned. But a good son always returns home...
After two seasons in Italy, Zico returned to his beloved team in the second half of 1985, but an injury nearly sidelined him. After receiving a hard tackle in a game against Bangu, he spent a long time on the sidelines recovering from a serious knee injury. But he delivered the answer to those who already considered him a former player in February 1986, on the eve of the World Cup: against rival Fluminense, Zico scored three goals—one from a free kick—in a 4-1 Flamengo victory. At Flamengo, his reward would come with the state title that year and, the following year, with the fourth Brazilian championship, known as the Copa União, which would be the Galinho's last trophy with Flamengo. His last professional match ended in style: an unforgettable 5-0 rout of Fluminense in Juiz de Fora, in a game in which Zico spared no expense with dribbling, long passes, and another unforgettable free kick goal.
In the Selection – He played for the Brazilian national football team from 1976 to 1986, scoring 66 goals in 89 matches and missing only one match in regulation time, against Italy at the Sarriá Stadium in the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He also participated in the 1978 and 1986 World Cups. His debut for the national team came on a tour in which Brazil faced South American countries. He scored beautiful free-kicks and assumed the role of Brazil's greatest hope after Pelé's career ended. His participation in the 1978 World Cup, however, was short-lived, ending in the first round after suffering a serious muscle injury against Poland. Unfortunately, in 1986, he missed a penalty against France in the match that eliminated Brazil, and he never won the World Cup. As Fernando Calazans says, "World Cup bad luck."
In Japan – In 1991, he returned to soccer to compete in the Japanese championship. His return to the field, along with other famous players who had already retired or were about to retire, is now considered one of the main reasons for the popularity of soccer in Japan. Three years later, he retired permanently. In Japan, he played for Sumitomo Metals and its parent club, the current Kashima Antlers. The Galinho would also receive a beautiful statue in his honor. Zico is highly revered in Japan, and further proof of this is his affectionate nickname "God of Soccer."
CFZ - CFZ was founded on July 12, 1996, the date on which it registered its articles of association, as is often the case with corporate clubs. Its founder was former player Zico. The club was initially called Rio de Janeiro Futebol Clube and began operations six months after the first anniversary of the Centro de Futebol in Recreio dos Bandeirantes. The Rio CFZ gave rise to a subsidiary based in Brasília: the eponymous CFZ. The Brasília club was founded on August 1, 1999, in partnership with the company HPMA. The two clubs used the same players and coaching staff for a period.
As a Coach – From June 2002 onwards, he began coaching. He began with the Japanese national team and led them to the 2004 Asian Cup and 2006 World Cup. After that, he was hired to coach Turkish side Fenerbahçe, where he won the Turkish championship in his first season and, the following season, led the team to the quarterfinals of the 2007-2008 UEFA Champions League, the best performance by a Turkish club in the main European club tournament. In September 2008, he was hired to coach Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor team. He stayed for just over four months, long enough to win the country's Cup. In early 2009, he left Asian football for CSKA Moscow, and in September, he signed with Olympiacos of Greece.
This Tuesday, Zico, who won, among other friendly tournament titles, seven State Championships, four Brazilian Championships, the Libertadores, and the World Cup with Flamengo, takes on a role of great responsibility off the field. "Galinho" will be the club's executive director of football. But before reaching this position, he contributed a lot to the Rubro-Negro and also to other areas of sport. Zico scored much more than 509 goals for the Gávea team, and you can see his highlights in this special and also in Galinho's profile on Flapédia.
The puny boy from Quintino
A slight boy from the Quintino neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro's northern zone, Arthurzico attracted attention not only for his constant presence with a ball, but also for his skill in controlling it. Playing futsal for River Futebol Clube and also for Juventude, a team heavily influenced by his family, Arthurzico captivated journalist Celso Garcia.
In 1967, he was taken to Gávea, and few could have imagined that this was the beginning of the story of the greatest idol in the 114-year history of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. Zico only made his debut for the first team in 1971, in a match against Vasco da Gama, which ended 2-1 for the red-and-black team, where the debutant provided the pass for Fio Maravilha to score the winning goal. Three years later, he established himself as a starter and has remained a fixture since, after undergoing intense physical preparation and muscle-strengthening work, due to his previously frail physique, which earned him the affectionate nickname "Quintino's Little Rooster."
Hey, hey, hey, Zico is our king!
But Zico only became the Zico everyone knows today in 1978. Alongside other stars like Adílio, Andrade, and Júnior, he formed the greatest team in the history of red-and-black football. With near-perfect football, Zico won three Rio de Janeiro championships, the club's third. In 1979, the team won the prestigious Ramón de Carranza Friendly Tournament, highlighting a 2-1 victory, in which he scored one of the goals, over a Barcelona side of Johan Neeskens, Allan Simonsen, Hans Krankl, and Carles Rexach.
Later that year, he also scored his 245th goal, in a match against Goytacaz, surpassing Dida as Flamengo's all-time top scorer. And the glories were only beginning. The first Brazilian title would come in 1980, in a historic final against Atlético Mineiro, the Libertadores and the 1981 World Cup, the second in 1982, the third in 1983... But that year, Zico lifted the trophy knowing it would be his last match for Flamengo: the Galinho agreed to move to Udinese and left the nation orphaned. But a good son always returns home...
After two seasons in Italy, Zico returned to his beloved team in the second half of 1985, but an injury nearly sidelined him. After receiving a hard tackle in a game against Bangu, he spent a long time on the sidelines recovering from a serious knee injury. But he delivered the answer to those who already considered him a former player in February 1986, on the eve of the World Cup: against rival Fluminense, Zico scored three goals—one from a free kick—in a 4-1 Flamengo victory. At Flamengo, his reward would come with the state title that year and, the following year, with the fourth Brazilian championship, known as the Copa União, which would be the Galinho's last trophy with Flamengo. His last professional match ended in style: an unforgettable 5-0 rout of Fluminense in Juiz de Fora, in a game in which Zico spared no expense with dribbling, long passes, and another unforgettable free kick goal.
In the Selection – He played for the Brazilian national football team from 1976 to 1986, scoring 66 goals in 89 matches and missing only one match in regulation time, against Italy at the Sarriá Stadium in the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He also participated in the 1978 and 1986 World Cups. His debut for the national team came on a tour in which Brazil faced South American countries. He scored beautiful free-kicks and assumed the role of Brazil's greatest hope after Pelé's career ended. His participation in the 1978 World Cup, however, was short-lived, ending in the first round after suffering a serious muscle injury against Poland. Unfortunately, in 1986, he missed a penalty against France in the match that eliminated Brazil, and he never won the World Cup. As Fernando Calazans says, "World Cup bad luck."
In Japan – In 1991, he returned to soccer to compete in the Japanese championship. His return to the field, along with other famous players who had already retired or were about to retire, is now considered one of the main reasons for the popularity of soccer in Japan. Three years later, he retired permanently. In Japan, he played for Sumitomo Metals and its parent club, the current Kashima Antlers. The Galinho would also receive a beautiful statue in his honor. Zico is highly revered in Japan, and further proof of this is his affectionate nickname "God of Soccer."
CFZ - CFZ was founded on July 12, 1996, the date on which it registered its articles of association, as is often the case with corporate clubs. Its founder was former player Zico. The club was initially called Rio de Janeiro Futebol Clube and began operations six months after the first anniversary of the Centro de Futebol in Recreio dos Bandeirantes. The Rio CFZ gave rise to a subsidiary based in Brasília: the eponymous CFZ. The Brasília club was founded on August 1, 1999, in partnership with the company HPMA. The two clubs used the same players and coaching staff for a period.
As a Coach – From June 2002 onwards, he began coaching. He began with the Japanese national team and led them to the 2004 Asian Cup and 2006 World Cup. After that, he was hired to coach Turkish side Fenerbahçe, where he won the Turkish championship in his first season and, the following season, led the team to the quarterfinals of the 2007-2008 UEFA Champions League, the best performance by a Turkish club in the main European club tournament. In September 2008, he was hired to coach Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor team. He stayed for just over four months, long enough to win the country's Cup. In early 2009, he left Asian football for CSKA Moscow, and in September, he signed with Olympiacos of Greece.