My main challenge is to bring professionalism to Indian football: Zico

Exactly 10 years after his first and only visit to India in September 2004, Arthur Antunes Coimbra, better known as Zico, is leaving for India on Friday - this time for a three-month stay as the coach of FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL).
At his Centro do Futebol, a huge campus of lush-green pitches, gymnasiums and a beautiful office building on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Zico is busy giving instructions to his coaches and office staff about what to do while he is away in India.
In the middle of his hectic schedule, the legendary Brazilian midfielder and former coach of Japan spoke to Shobhan Saxena about the challenge he might face in Goa, the state of Indian football and his coaching philosophy.
Excerpts from the interview:
How did you suddenly decide to join FC Goa as their coach? Who convinced you to go to Goa as a coach?
There is a guy in Goa who runs a football training facility. He is a friend of Beto Silva (a Brazilian who has played in Goa), who told me two months ago that there is going to be a new football league in India and asked me if I would be interested in going there as coach. I said yes because it's a new project. I like this kind of challenges. I sent my proposal to them and we agreed on a deal and now I am all set to fly to India on Friday.
You have been to India in 2004 as the coach of Japanese national team which played against India at Kolkata. How was that trip?
It was a flying visit. It was very fast. We arrived in Kolkata, went to the stadium for training, played the game next day and after the match we took a flight back to Tokyo. I did not have any time to see the city. I spent my time at the hotel, the airport and the stadium. But I do remember the arena (Salt Lake Stadium). It was huge and it was full of people (almost 120,000-strong crowd). It was a great sight. It reminded me of my playing days for Flamengo at the Maracana Stadium in Rio. That's what I remember about India.
What are the major challenges you think you may face in Goa, both in terms of football training as well as living and working in India?
As far as living and working in India is concerned, it should not be a problem at all. I have lived in very diverse countries like Japan, Greece, Turkey, Iraq, Russia and Uzbekistan. So I am used to working in different cultures, and India is an interesting place. The main challenge for me is how the Indian players take to professionalism. Being professional is not just about playing football well. To play football well, you have to take care of your body, eat well and train hard. This is the biggest challenge. I have to understand what they (players) want. They have to know how to prepare for the future. For me to going there (India) and winning a trophy is not going to make a difference. What will make a difference is to help in the development of Indian football and make it professional. If I can do that, it will be a great pleasure for me.
Do you think India will ever make it to the World Cup?
In life, everything is possible. The most important thing is to have a wish to succeed. In case of India, the country has to have a mindset of developing the sport. Football is very closely linked to culture. If a country's culture is not in sync with the football culture, it's difficult to make good players and build teams.
Would you consider training the Indian national team if such an offer is made after your stint with FC Goa?
It's not the time to think about that. Right now, I am not thinking of coaching the Indian national team. My focus is on FC Goa. I am focused on developing FC Goa as a professional side. I am not going to India to look for other opportunities and projects. I will do my best for FC Goa in the league. After that, we don't know what's going to happen. But, as I said, everything is possible.
When the Brazilian football is facing its worst crisis, you are going to India as a coach of a club. Didn't you want to take charge of Brazilian national team or a club in Rio?
No, I am not going to coach any club in Brazil because of my strong association with Flamengo. I can't train a team that plays against Flamengo. As far as the Brazilian side is concerned, I don't think it's fair for someone like me who doesn't coach in Brazil to make a bid for the position of Brazilian coach. The Brazilian football is in crisis and it has to re-invent itself. But the problem is that the CBF (Brazilian Football Federation) is like a club of friends and the same set of people keep coming back. I have nothing against Dunga and I wish him all the best, but it's very rare for a coach to make a comeback after getting a chance for four years and losing the World Cup. It's very disappointing.