Legendary Brazilian football star Zico is in the city to attend a World Cup promotion event. Edmond Tang / China Daily

Zico shows his football skills. Edmond Tang / China Daily

Legendary Brazilian football star Zico paid a visit to Hong Kong during the midst of World Cup fever. The former star tells Guo Jiaxue that, with his days in the spotlight ended, he plans to step into the shadows to become a director of the club that helped make him famous.

Brazilian legend Zico stood in the doorway of a public restroom, gazing with a bemused expression. His look was serious, purposeful.

Ten stride before him, photographers and video cameramen had trained their lenses on him, waiting for the 57-year-old world-famed "White Pele" to declare his predictions for this year's 2010 World Cup. It's been 15 years since Zico was in Hong Kong. Cameras flashed amid the constant whine of the automatic cameras.

A moment later, Zico, now wearing his "game face" as if prepared for a big match, lifted his head and stepped into the spotlight.

"Spain is quite competitive. Argentina is also very good," he said in the crowd of cameras. Zico considered the two among the top contenders for this year's honors. He didn't forget his home country, adding, "last year Brazil did very well. Hope this year it will too."

The man, well into middle age, still looks fit. Traces of the passionate young football legend remain etched into his features. Today however, Zico is the picture of quietude. Even as swarming reporters and photographers displayed their typical aggressive and doubtful manners, Zico spoke in moderate tones, never raising his voice. He seldom looked into the eyes of those he was addressing. He looked down slightly and seemed almost to be speaking to himself.

In a relatively quite corner of the noisy and crowded event, he agreed to an interview with China Daily.

His predictions favoring Spain and Argentina at the World Cup are not unlike the predictions of many others, including Pele, the former football king who believes Spain and Brazil are the best bets this year but that England and Argentina are going to be contenders as well. Pele's World Cup predictions are somewhat notorious for being off pitch usually. But this time Zico believes Pele will not be too far off. "Don't forget Brazil and Argentina always went to the end in every World Cup in the past," he said.

Being called White Pele, Zico however would like to clarify it was not Pele who got him into football. "In Brazil, every boy loves football," Zico explained. Pele is a lot older. Back then Brazil had many outstanding players apart from Pele.

He declined to compare this year's Brazilian team with teams from his era. Zico said his favorite player on this year's Brazilian World Cup team is the midfielder Kaka. Just as the former football king Pele named Zico as the one player that came closest to him throughout the years, Zico now considers Kaka as the one who plays most like he played. "His dribbling, passing the ball. He's taller than me, but flexible, so he is pretty much as fast as me," he said happily, praising Kaka unabashedly.

Zico, though a legendary footballer, never savored victory in the World Cup. He played in three. He got injured and had to withdraw in 1978. Brazil lost to Italy in 1982. In 1986, he missed a penalty shot and Brazil faded in the quarter-final.

Speaking of that, Zico said he has no regrets, though he was unhappy with the outcomes at the time. "Because since then Brazilian football's style has changed," he said, "from play for fun to play to win."

It's not just Brazil. "Nowadays, players are under huge pressure to win, and they play really hard, which causes more physical confrontation in today's football fields. And more players get injured because of that." he said. It's quite different from the times when he was a player. "Today's young players run faster, full of energy, and with temper," he added.

After retiring as a player, Zico began his coaching career. He coached in several countries including Japan, Russia, Greece, and Turkey. It's not his coaching style to train his players to win through physical confrontation, but to focus on the "basics," on the technical skills. He understands the zeal to win. Zico always tells his players to remain calm and not become enraged.

When asked to compare his experiences as a football player and as a coach, he answered without hesitation. "Being a player is better," he said with a rare hearty smile, as if at that moment memories of his glory days as the legendary midfielder were suddenly stirred. He was the man who bent the ball with pace and accuracy and was possessed of a powerful shot. With no effort to conceal his feelings, he admitted sometimes he misses being a player.

"Coaching depends on others, needs many parties to work together, while playing depends on myself only," he said.

Language has proven a major difficulty for his coaching career over about 11 years. "I don't speak Japanese, Russian, Turkish or Greek."

Zico has not explained why he has chosen to end his career as a coach. Just days ago he announced that he would become the new director, of his "most beloved" Flamingo, where he built his legend. But he won't be coaching in his new role.

"So far I have no intention of coaching again," he said. He refused to say why.

He made one special demand in accepting his new post. His salary cannot be paid by the Flamingo club. It must come from the team's sponsors. "I just want to help the club with my techniques," he explained.

Retired as a player, retired as a coach, Zico is withdrawing gradually from center stage of the football world.

"He doesn't speak English very well, but he's been very nice to us. He doesn't look commercial ... And we can tell he loves his wife so much," a staff member at the recent Hong Kong event where he spoke told China Daily.

Today's Zico is more involved in his family. After a whole day's events and interviews, Zico and his wife headed straight out for some shopping to buy toys and clothes for their grandchildren.

A pair of old football shoes of Zico is showcased. Edmond Tang / China Daily

(HK Edition 06/18/2010 page4)