Historical profile
Career overview
Arthur Antunes Coimbra (Portuguese pronunciation: [aʁˈtuʁ ɐ̃ˈtũnis koˈĩbɾɐ], born 3 March 1953), better known as Zico ([ˈziku]), is a Brazilian football coach and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. A creative playmaker with excellent technical skills, vision and an eye for goal, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and also considered one of the best free kick specialists in history. According to one estimate, Zico has scored the most direct free kicks in history, with 101 goals including friendlies, among which 62 are verified in official games. Renowned for his technical brilliance, Zico was once described by Pelé as "the one player that came closest to me throughout the years". During his playing career, Zico was elected as the 1981 and 1983 Player of the Year. In 1999, Zico came seventh in the FIFA Player of the Century grand jury vote,