Former Brazilian international and FC Goa coach Zico has expressed his dismay at the controversies that continue to dog Fifa and revealed the difficulties he is facing as a candidate for the presidency of the game’s governing body.
Zico’s comments came Monday night as he prepared his team at the training pitches of Dubai Sport City ahead of the new Indian Super League.
“The most difficult is to get five federations to back me,” he said. “I need four more, because the Brazilian Federation has given their support. The most difficult thing is to find these five federations to be a candidate.”
The former Japan and Fenerbache coach believes that individual country associations tend to follow their own continent’s nomination.
“When AFC choose a name, everyone follows him, when Conmebol chooses one name, everyone follow him,” he said. “This is the big problem.”
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Zico expressed his disappointment at the lack of changes at Fifa over the last 50 years on the day the US attorney general revealed that further arrests, involving both “entities and individuals”, are likely after Swiss authorities revealed announced they have seized properties in the Alps in relation to alleged money laundering.
“I’m very upset about this,” Zico said. “There needs to be big changes at Fifa. People who work in football need to participate more. In 54 years, Fifa has had only three presidents. Stanley Rous, who didn’t play football. Havelange, who came from swimming, and Blatter.”
“It doesn’t have to be a footballer, it could be anyone who participated in football,” he added. “A president, a manger, a player or a medical doctor. Anyone, but it must be someone who has worked in football.”
Zico has often reiterated his targets to democratising and developing football across the globe, and not just for the sake of votes.
“We need to help develop football because they need this,” he said. “You only see Fifa work when there is a World Cup. In between, for four years, nothing.”
New FC Goa and Brazilian World Cup winner Lucio threw his support behind his new manager.
“If we consider everything happening with Fifa at the moment, I would like Zico to be president because he has the character, the personality,” the former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan player said.
“He has a good name to be a candidate. The two most important things for him are transparency and democracy. I think Zico can help a lot if he was president of Fifa. Also his experience as coach and as player, he has 40 years in football.”
akahled@thenational.ae
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