Zico aims for lasting legacy
5 May 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com
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With the deadline for naming his FIFA World Cup? squad approaching, Japan coach Zico took time out from deliberating on his selection and sat down with FIFAworldcup.com to reflect on his four years in the post.
In addition to discussing his side's Group F rivals Australia, Croatia and his native Brazil, he laid out his hopes and ambitions for the tournament and his wish to leave an indelible mark on Japanese football.
FIFAworldcup.com: We understand you have almost settled on your squad for Germany. Will there be any surprises when you announce the final 23 on 15 May?
That's difficult to say. I've been watching all the players closely for a long time, and there's a large pool of talent to draw on in every position. I have to be impartial and select the best players at my disposal with the aim of winning the tournament. That means there will be individuals who have previously been part of the squad who I will have to leave out, even though they may be of the same calibre as my final 23.
You have tough games against Brazil, Croatia and Australia in the group stage. How do you rate Japan's chances of reaching the knockout rounds?
Well, Brazil stand out head and shoulders above the rest. With most of their players now plying their trade in Europe, they'll have the strongest squad in the group. So, Australia, Croatia and Japan will each have a one in three chance of taking the other qualifying slot. If we play to our potential, we should have as good a chance of any of the others of going through.
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The first game against Australia is crucial to our chances. Australia are coached by Guus Hiddink, who led Holland to the World Cup semi-finals at France 98 and repeated the feat with Korea Republic four years later, and they have many players currently starring for clubs in Europe. However, that's not to say that Japan are inferior in any way ? I believe we are in good shape to win. It's also important for us to be mentally strong in our second game against Croatia. In the European qualifiers, Croatia showed that they have a tight defence and don't leak many goals.
While speaking to the foreign press recently, you stated that you were aiming to get to the last four, a remark that brought laughter from certain sectors of the hall. Are you honestly confident you can go that far?
This is an all-too-common reaction from these people. These foreign journalists still look at Japanese football as the weak force it was a decade or so ago. I would like them to look back to the previous tournament. No-one expected unfancied teams such as Turkey, Korea Republic and the United States to make it through to the latter stages, nor did anyone predict teams tipped to win the tournament such as Argentina and France to be knocked out in the first round.
Certainly everyone is tipping Brazil to win the tournament but they struggled to beat Russia, a team who failed to qualify for this year's finals, in a friendly game in March, and we (Japan) gave them a hard time in a 2-2 draw in last year's Confederations Cup. To put it simply, football is an unpredictable game, and no-one can foresee how things will turn out. It can also be said that the gap between traditional footballing powers and newly emerging nations is narrowing, a trend that has been graphically illustrated at recent World Cups. I think that if Japan play to the best of their ability, we certainly have a great chance to do well in Germany.
As a player you competed in three FIFA World Cups (1978, 1982 and 1986) and were a member of the Brazil coaching staff at France 98, but this will be your first time in sole charge of a team on the world stage. Is your mindset very different now that you are head coach?
I think the main difference will be the responsibility placed on me. However, before I became coach of the Japanese national team, I had experience of performing a variety of roles in the game. So, for this tournament I'm in the fortunate position of being able to draw on this experience and direct the team in the way I see fit.
Exactly what kind of experiences are you thinking of drawing on in Germany?
Let's take my time as a member of Brazil's coaching staff at France 98, for example. At that time there were a number of internal problems in the squad, and it was my role to go round trying to resolve them. Through this, I realised how important it is to create a good team environment going into a major tournament. Brazil finished runners-up, and I gained the belief that any team playing with pride can perform to their full potential and go on to win.
In this your first role as head coach of a national side, do you look to the methods of coaches you played under, such as the late Tele Santana as reference points?
Yes, I think so. Tele Santana achieved a number of remarkable feats in football, and I too learnt a great deal from him. I learnt that as a coach you must maintain your dignity, and that you should hold your players in high esteem, treat them all equally and strive to bring out the best in them.
In your four years in charge of Japan, you have gone about strengthening the team with the emphasis on 'freedom'. At the same time you have been criticised for giving the players too much autonomy and having unclear tactics.
I think that this kind of criticism is inevitable when you considers the culture here in Japan. I believe 'ego' and 'freedom' are two different things, but they are often confused in Japan. In my 15 years in the country, starting with my time at Kashima Antlers, I've seen qualities such as the exceptionally diligent nature of the people and their wonderful traditions and culture, and I have taken the utmost care to respect these things. In Japanese sports, there is a deep-rooted passive mentality where players wait for the coach's orders rather than take the initiative themselves. This can be seen in the traditional style of Japanese professional baseball, where players go to great lengths to avoid displeasing their coach.
I think that those people who ask for my definite opinion on tactics or formation may be strongly affected by this mentality. However, football is a sport where a player cannot wait for the coach's orders, he must use his own initiative. Since becoming coach, I've become aware that you should never think negatively. Simply put, I have tried to fuse Brazilian football culture with traditional Japanese culture. The Japanese have similar physiques to South Americans; they use their speed and technique, while also being able to mix it up physically. The players have built up their physical strength and are now able to play with self-confidence. I'm very happy to say that I've been able to get everything across to the players that I wanted to. There is no more knowledge that I am able to pass on.
What qualities do you believe are important to you as the coach of a national team?
Patience. This is the most important quality required of a coach.
In the time you have been in charge, the team's knack of scoring at critical moments, such as winning goals in the closing minutes of key matches, has come to be known as the 'luck of Zico'. How do you feel about that?
Only after you put everything you have into something does luck come into play. I don't believe I'm necessarily lucky, and I certainly don't think that I'm going to win the lottery (laughs). Results come from sheer hard work.
As coach of Japan, what kind of mark would you like to leave on the FIFA World Cup this summer?
First of all, I have to carry out my task to the best of my ability. I'd like to do a job where people will never forget what I've achieved. I've been given the honour of coaching the team, and I have laid the foundations for Japan to be able to compete against the rest of the world. All my staff have worked hard to create an enjoyable environment for the team, and I have transmitted all of my experience to the players. Of course, getting good results at the World Cup is important, but I would also like to leave a legacy that will benefit future Japan teams.
