Miami FC News Release - www.miamifc.com
Friday, October 5, 2007
MIAMI, FL -- Miami FC announced today that former 1994 World Cup champion Crizam Cézar de Oliveira Filho, best known as “Zinho”, was named the team’s new Head Coach, effective immediately. Former interim Head Coach Victor Pastora will resume his functions as the team’s assistant coach.
“I am very happy we could reach an agreement and I’d like to thank Miami FC’s and Traffic’s owners and management team for giving me this wonderful opportunity,” said Zinho. “It’s time for Miami FC to aim high. I am not here just to take Miami FC to the playoffs. I want to win the USL-1 title in 2008.”
The appointment of the former Miami FC midfielder, team captain and assistant coach was the culmination of a three-month process that began with the reassignment of Chiquinho de Assis to another position within the organization, primarily working with player development. Chiquinho de Assis was out as Miami FC’s Head Coach after almost two years.
“The choice of having Zinho as Miami FC’s new coach was a natural one, since he was already working as an assistant coach and was always respected and well regarded not only by the players and the fans, but also by everyone in our organization,” declared Aaron Davidson, Miami FC’s president.
Zinho retires from the “beautiful game” as a player on a high note. He was the only player on the Miami FC 2007 roster to be included in the USL First Division All-League Teams, which were announced in late September. He was also honored as an All-League player in 2006.
Zinho has nothing else to prove on the field. He was a World Cup champion in 1994 and has won 5 Brazilian Championships, 1 Libertadores Cup and 3 Brazilian Cups. Zinho dreams to follow the footsteps of Dunga, his former teammate in the 1994 Brazilian National Team and now Head Coach of Brazil’s National Team.
“Having been a player for more than 20 years does not qualify me automatically to be a good coach. My biggest challenge will be to mix and match young talents with more experienced players. We cannot rely only on newcomers in this league, which is a very competitive one. I’m very excited with this new challenge in my life and will be fully dedicated to making Miami FC a power to be reckoned with,” guaranteed the man who holds the record for the most titles won and games played in the tough Brazilian Championship.
“Zinho has shown a lot of determination and talent as a player throughout all these years and even at 40 years of age and not being a forward, he was Miami FC’s goal scoring and points leader this past season. I am confident he will be even more successful in his new endeavor as Miami FC’s Head Coach. He has the full support of our front office and our ownership group,” affirmed Luiz Muzzi, Miami FC’s general manager.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri "Dunga" - Brazilian National Team Head Coach and World Cup Champion alongside Zinho in 1994
"Without a doubt, Traffic Sports and Miami FC are celebrating the hiring of Zinho as the team’s Head Coach. I can modestly say that I am partly to blame. I believe that my appointment as Head Coach of the Brazilian National Team and the success I’ve had since has opened the doors for a whole generation of capable and dedicated players to get their shot at coaching. Zinho is no exception. He has always excelled in everything he’s done. As a player, Zinho was committed to the team, disciplined like no other and close to perfect from a tactical view-point. He was one of those players every coach would love to have on his team because he always put the team first and followed every single responsibility the coach placed on his shoulders. Even as an announcer he was fantastic! If he was just a few years younger I would certainly call him up to be a part of the current Brazilian National Team. He has always been a player full of character and personality and that is fundamental for the group. I have no doubt whatsoever that he will be very successful as a coach because he will instill discipline in his players, like he had in his playing days, but will also bring that human aspect to his relationship with each of them. I wish Zinho the very best in his new endeavor."
Jorge de Amorim Campos "Jorginho" - Brazilian National Team Assistant Manager and World Cup Champion alongside Zinho in 1994
"Zinho is a very credible human being. As a coach he will undoubtedly have a brilliant future. As a player, he always knew what was happening on the field and would speak frequently with both the coaching staff and the players alike making his professional opinion heard when things weren’t going as planned on the field. He has a very clear vision of beautiful soccer and always grasped and understood every single tactical scheme thrown his way by all the great coaches he’s played for, like Carlos Alberto Parreira, Wanderley Luxemburgo and Luiz Felipe Scolari. Personally, I always felt like he was a player-coach because of his personality and understanding of the team concept. Zinho embodies all the qualities needed to be a great soccer coach and Miami FC will only improve because of this. Congratulations to him and to Miami FC, who will now be able to count on one of the most serious, dedicated and most well rounded professionals I’ve had the pleasure of working with in my entire life."
Jose Roberto Gama de Oliveira "Bebeto" - World Cup Champion alongside Zinho in 1994
"I am not the right person to ask about Zinho because I consider him my brother. We grew up together and were both champions at a club level playing for Flamengo and then World Champions in 1994 playing with the Brazilian National Team. I am however certain that he will be a great coach. I believe that in order to be a great coach you have to also be a friend of the players under you and Zinho can accomplish this like no other. He is a passionate and charismatic human being, a friend you can count on always, who helped me a great deal when we were teammates on the Brazilian National Team. Zinho knows soccer and can see the spaces on the field like no other. As a player, he was blessed with incredible talent and was the quintessential professional during games and in training, leading by example. He is perseverant and a professional in every sense of the word. He will bring out the very best of each of his players and put Miami FC at the top of its game. Under his tutelage, it’s only a matter of time until Miami FC is playing for the championship."
