Evergreen Zico shrugs off injuries

Zico remains optimistic of reaching the UEFA Champions League knockout phase despite a spate of injuries so severe the Brazilian legend has threatened to dust off his own boots. "Second place is still wide open," he told uefa.com.

Distinguished career
A stalwart of the great Brazilian side of the early 1980s, Zico has made the leap into coaching with impressive results. Having won trophies at Fenerbahçe SK, FC Bunyodkor and PFC CSKA Moskva, the 56-year-old, who succeeded Temuri Ketsbaia on 16 September this year, is now attempting to repeat the trick with Olympiacos and has guided them to second in both the Greek Super League and UEFA Champions League Group H. With a whole host of players on the sidelines for the Matchday 5 trip to AZ Alkmaar on Tuesday, however, Zico - scorer of more than 800 career goals - can at least look on the bright side.

Nine injuries
"If I'd known how bad things were going to get I'd have prepared myself a bit better," he told uefa.com. "At least now I have a Portuguese passport – I'm not non-EU any more. If I'd played these days I'd certainly earn a lot more! Matt Derbyshire, Diogo, Luciano Galletti, Jaouad Zairi, who bring me goals, have all been injured and are part of a list of nine first-team regulars recently out. Hopefully we'll have four back for the game against AZ."

Fenerbahçe success
Four points adrift of Arsenal FC, who have all but qualified, Olympiacos sit second in their section, two points clear of R. Standard de Liège and a further two ahead of AZ. Having guided Fenerbahçe to the last eight of Europe's premier club competition in 2007/08, Zico has a taste for the latter stages of the tournament. "We play AZ while Standard travel to Arsenal in London, which is difficult. Even if we don't get a positive result in the Netherlands we would still have a big opportunity at home to Arsenal. My ideal would be to stop relying on our B-team players, to take three points from AZ and enjoy our home tie with Arsenal.

Qualification imperative
"They have already taken a huge step towards qualification and I'd like them to be in the next round by the time they come to Athens in December," he added. "But qualification, however achieved, is all-important." Maybe so, but Zico, a long-time lover of Athens, appears content enough with life in the Greek capital regardless. "Sometimes someone has a talent or a quality which stays dormant but, daily, I get the maximum out of the players and increase their confidence."