Zico

I don't think Pele was the ultimate hero for our generation, he is the ultimate hero of every generation of Brazilians.

Profit and fame will not develop Indian football. Professionals, technique development, legacy specialists, and experts in football business, will develop India as football country.

Legacy is an issue, in my opinion. People in the ISL seemed very much more worried about winning, than in creating a legacy.

The ISL brought together many football cultures such as Italians, Dutch, French, English and Spanish. There were no Brazilians! I brought something from Brazil, a team of professionals that changed something.

Losing a game at home is never good.

Sometimes a team plays very well but doesn't manage to score, while another team comes and scores. But then, that's how football is.

Football never surpises me.

An athlete needs to maintain a proper diet.

India has a population of over 1 billion people. There is place for all sports and for sure there is space for football.

In Brazil, U.S., Japan and some other countries, there are many sports being played and I hope that will be the case in India as well. Sports is good for the country.

Sometimes I make mistakes in my lineup. I don't make any mistakes to harm someone.

I've always done everything with love and dedication, thinking of the best for the club and the fans.

My father taught me to love Flamengo, which has always been my second home.

I wish I could help in a more substantial way, the football in India in a more global, national way.

When I was a kid, my big hero was the number 10 of Flamengo and not the number 10 of Santos. His name was Dida. We didn't have much knowledge about the championship in Sao Paolo or in the south of Brazil. We just knew about the championship in Rio because I am from there. But Pele played for the national team and was a hero.

Tactically, technically, physically, mentally he was the best. A lot of things that I learnt was from Pele's sticker albums: how to head, how to shoot the ball. It was like a step-by-step guide. I learnt from Pele as a kid.

When God built Pele, he put everything that a player needs in him. He knew how to shoot, how to dribble, how to head, be physical. He had everything that a football player needs to have. It's difficult for someone to achieve what he has in football.

Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi never ever stop playing for the team. If I were young today, they are players on which I would mirror myself. Players of this level, play for the team. Players that are the best because they prepared themselves to bet You don't see these players going out, on social media, skipping training to be in parties.

Football is a collective game, not an individual game.

Sometimes you decide games, but you can't decide a competition. So, Messi's merit is not undone because he hasn't won a World Cup.

Football is a collective sport and many times it doesn't depend on you playing well. It depends if the team is playing well.

Maradona is among the best five players I've ever seen: Garrincha, Pele, Diego, Cruijff and Beckenbauer.

I remember winning the Asian Cup in 2004 in China, coming through so much adversity including a final against the hosts. We won 3-1 and it was a wonderful competition, which we won by playing great football.

Brazilian football has always been very much admired in Japan and, of course, after my participation and so many other Brazilians, it was like they created a new style of play in homage to Brazilian football.

You need to always try to find new challenges.

It's bad when there are internal problems at the club - when people have doubts about you internally.

I am not White Pele. I am simply Zico.

I don't know why everyone refers to me as White Pele. I don't like it.

There is nothing wrong in losing with dignity, it is a part of the game.

Arsene Wenger's mentality has been to bring together footballers who bring happiness in our sport, the type of players I like to watch. I've followed him since he was in Japan, and he always was a guardian of the art of football - football with happiness and football played well.

In Japan, football has grown but it doesn't mean that baseball has regressed. Baseball also has grown with football.

When I went to Japan, I was with Kashima Antlers. Very good results were produced with that team as I aimed to develop Japanese football.

I am not a magician of football.

I hope that all the Indian football players who will be with me under my coaching will show their talent and come out with great success.

Football always has pressure.

During practice sessions I try and bring every inch of my experience to show the players what to expect, what can happen, what to avoid so that the team can focus on what they have learnt during training sessions.

Difficulty is when you go to a place where the people don't like you, they put a burden on you like what happened to me in Olympiakos.

Everyone has the right to make mistakes.

Maradona, if the ball came from his right, he would turn and would use his left foot, because he did not use his right. But he did use his right hand.

I think the difference with Japan was that they didn't bring in too many foreign players. In my opinion at the ISL it's not too good to have too many foreigners playing. The minimum of five Indian players is too less in my opinion. Since it's the ISL, we have to encourage more Indian football.

Ozil is a great player. He's the brain of the German national team.

In my days, players were only thinking about publicity during holiday and on rest days.

Neymar and Balotelli have the same problem. They spend too much time on their activities off the pitch.

Considering Messi's quality and everything he represents, I don't think I've seen him playing with a guy following him around the pitch the entire time with the sole purpose of not letting him play.

Everything Maradona did, he did with a guy hanging on his neck during 90 minutes.

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two players that, the way I see it, can have a spot amongst the best of all time.

With respect to Qatar as a country that wants to grow, you can't have a World Cup in a country that doesn't have football.

I want to win all the time; even in a dice game I want to win.

I respect the rules of the game.