Sports
CSKA celebrating Russia’s Premier League silver medals
‘White Pele’ to coach CSKA
Published 30 December, 2008, 02:42
Brazilian dead ball specialist Zico is to replace Valery Gazzaev as coach of Russia’s Premiere League silver medalists CSKA Moscow.
In an interview with Brazil’s Globoesporte website, Zico said that he had already reached an agreement with both the Muscovites and his current club Bunyodkor from Uzbekistan.
“The clubs just need to settle all the formalities concerning my move,” he explained.
Regarded as one of the best players in the history of the sport, Zico is a football legend. He was often called the ‘White Pele’. He was the key man in Brazilian national team of the 80s. In a long career, he played for Flamenco in Brazil, for Udinese in Italy and finished his career in Japan.
In 2002 he stated his coaching career as boss of the Japanese national squad. Under his ledership, the team won the Asian Cup 2004 and qualified for the 2006 World Cup.
Later, with Fenerbache, he won the Turkish 2007 championships and Super Cup and reached the quarter-finals of the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League, where they were beaten by Chelsea.
Notably, CSKA and Fenerbache played each other in the group stage of the tournament. The Moscow match ended 2-2. But Fenerbace were stronger in Istanbul where it ended 3-1 to the home side.
In 2008 Zico went to the Uzbek team, Bunyodkor, famous for its attempts to buy Samuel Eto’o from Barcelona. He won the Uzbek cup and league titles with the club.
CSKA lost its coach at the end of the 2008 season when Valry Gazzaev fulfilled his promise to leave Moscow at the end of the campaign. The team secured 2nd place in the championship and qualified for UEFA Cup playoffs.
Gazzaev is on his way to Ukraine, where he’ll join Shakhtar in the summer.
