Former Brazilian football star Zico said on Thursday that he could never be persuaded to hold a post with the five-time world champions while certain people who made his life a misery during the 1998 World Cup in France were still part of the team.
Zico, who now coaches Japan, said that the experience he had endured as technical coordinator during the World Cup five years ago, when Brazil were runners-up to hosts France, was one he could not forget easily.
”I’ll never return to work with the side while certain persons are still there,” Zico (50) told the O Estado daily.
”I was very disappointed by what happened and can’t return to work with certain people. Everything becomes even more difficult when people leave you isolated. And I felt isolated.”
During the tournament Zico acted as an adviser but it soon became obvious that he was not on the same wavelength with members of the coaching staff.
And Zico was particularly critical of the handling of the case of striker Romario, who was sent home because of an injury that prevented him from playing the first round, but who could have played the later games.
Zico claimed that Brazilian officials lacked the courage to tell Romario of his exclusion and in the end pointed the finger of blame at him.
Regarding his job as Japan coach, Zico said that it was an ”interesting experience” but one which he did not intend to make a career of. — Sapa-AP