Zico rethinks life as coach

• AFP, Thursday, January 21, 2010 12 PM

After being fired as coach of Greek club Olympiakos, former Brazilian great Zico admitted he was rethinking his future as a coach. He was fired on Tuesday, two days after a scoreless draw with Kavala extended Olympiakos' winless streak to three matches and left it seven points behind leader Panathinaikos, and told he had a week to vacate the house the club obtained for him.

During and after the game, Olympiakos fans invaded the field, confronted police and threw bottles, broken chairs and other objects at players. "I didn't imagine to live a situation like that," Zico said Wednesday on his Web site. "I had to go to the press conference with 10 security guards protecting me. Our bus was escorted [by] a dozen police cars. I had the feeling that we were fugitives."

Zico, 56, had hired by Olympiakos in September. It named former player Bozidar Bandovic as its new coach. Zico, who played in three World Cups with Brazil -- 1978, 1982 and 1986 -- coached Japan's Kashima Antlers (1999), the Japanese national team (2002-2006), Turkey's Fenerbahce (2006-2008) and Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor (2008).

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