Merry Christmas, “White Cinderella”! Today marks the 70th birthday of the legendary Zico

“Bílý Pelé” celebrates its seventieth birthday today. Here are 10 facts about the Brazilian football wizard.

Zico is regarded as one of the most creative players of all time. His overview of the pitch, vision and perfect kicking technique made him a player who was a joy to watch when he had the ball at his feet. Recall 10 facts you may not have known about this Brazilian. Some may surprise you.

He comes from a star footballing family

Zico comes from a football family. His older brother Edu, a gifted midfielder, had the great misfortune of playing in the same position as Pelé, Rivelino and other monster players in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Flamengo once rejected him because he was small and scrawny

At the age of 14, he joined Flamengo’s youth team just a year after the star club’s officials rejected him. The reason? He was allegedly too small and scrawny.

So the club enrolled him in a programme involving special nutrition and gym work. Zico later repaid the club by taking Flamengo to heights they could only dream of at the time.

Between 1980 and 1987, he and his team won four league titles and one Copa Libertadores, the South and Central American equivalent of the European Champions League.

On his birthday in Brazil, they wish him “Merry Christmas”

Zico had such a reach in Brazil that fans really loved him. Therefore, on his birthday, which falls on March 3, his fans wish him a “Merry Christmas” in admiration of his footballing qualities.

But the Brazilian footballer, according to his own words, is not very fond of the said tribute and has never felt comfortable with it.

Zico was also a respected politician

In 1990, six years before Pelé assumed the role, Zico became Brazil’s first sports minister. But he didn’t last long in the corrupt environment.

He left office 13 months later after strong lobbying by politicians linked to the Brazilian Football Association continually delayed a parliamentary vote on his project to modernise Brazilian football.

He is the king of Brazil’s Maracanã shrine

The Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is surely the most admired football stadium in the whole of Brazil. It is home to Brazilian clubs Flamengo and Fluminense.

And it was his years spent at the former that made him a legend in this shrine. No other player has scored as many goals at the Maracanã as Zico. In 435 games at this stadium, he scored an incredible 333.

He is said to have been Alex Ferguson’s assistant

Zico went into coaching after his career as a professional footballer ended. After a successful stint at Fenerbahce in Turkey, he tried his hand in the British Isles.

After the departure of Kevin Keegan in September 2008, he lobbied for a job at Newcastle. Interestingly, however, speculation is that he was once reportedly offered the role of assistant to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. However, neither option worked out in the end.

How did the nickname Zico come about?

The football world remembers him by his nickname and no one calls him anything other than ‘Zico’. But how did his nickname come about?

His real name is Arthur Antunes Coimbra. But he has had the nickname “Zico” since his early childhood, when he was called “Arthurzico” by his family members. The abbreviation eventually caught on, and not just in the football world.

In Brazil, he is often referred to as “White Pelé”

The great Pelé himself once referred to him as one of the greatest players of all time, the closest he has come over the years. For this reason, he is often nicknamed “White Pelé” in Brazil because of the colour of his skin.

The best player never to win a World Cup with Brazil

With 48 goals in 71 official matches, Zico is the fifth top scorer for the Brazilian national team. He represented Brazil at the 1978 , 1982 and 1986 World Cups.

Although the 1982 team is considered one of the greatest Brazilian national teams ever, Zico has never won a World Cup title with Brazil. Although he has never won a World Cup, he finished third among Brazilians in the 2000 FIFA “Player of the Century” voting behind Pele and Garrincha.

In Udinese, he has a fan group named after him

From 1983-1985, Zico played in the Apennine Peninsula, specifically for the club Udinese. The Brazilian magician scored 59 goals in 73 games for the club and left a huge mark on the Italian club.

The club even named a group of fans after him, who carry a banner with the Brazilian’s name on it to every home and away game.

Source: The Guardian, Wikipedia