Football managers Zico (L) and Marcelo Bielsa are among the candidates for the vacant China PR head coaching job. (Photo : Getty Images)
Brazilian football legend Zico and former Argentina and Chile national team manager Marcelo Bielsa are reportedly included among the applicants that want to land the vacant head coach position of the China national football team.
The two football personalities are just some of the big names who have tendered their application to the Chinese Football Association before the Jan. 29 deadline of submission.
Other well-known soccer luminaries in the list of candidates are former Italy manager Cesare Prandelli, former Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli, former Portugal manager Paulo Bento, and former Inter Milan manager Walter Mazzarri, as per Xinhuanet.
Zico, whose full name is Arthur Antunes Coimbra, is also known as the "White Pelé" because of his creativity on the field, scoring and passing acumen, exceptional technical football skills, and on-pitch vision.
Pelé himself, who is regarded as the greatest football player of all time, said that "throughout the years, the one player that came closest to me was Zico". He played mainly as an attacking midfielder during his playing days and had dozens of individual honors during his 23-year career as a footballer.
As a manager, the 62-year-old Brazilian has coached a number of clubs namely, J1 League's Kashima Antlers, Brazilian Segunda Division's CFZ do Rio, Turkish Süper Lig's Fenerbahçe SK, Uzbek League's FC Bunyodkor, Russian Premier League's CSKA Moscow, Superleague Greece's Olympiacos FC, Qatar Stars League's Al-Gharafa Sports Club, and Indian Super League's FC Goa.
He also managed the national teams of Japan and Iraq during his so far 17-year career as a football coach.
Meanwhile, Bielsa also has a lot of football managerial experience aside from handling Argentina and Chile's national squads.
The 60-year-old Argentine has handled Argentina Primera Division's Newell's Old Boys and Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield, Liga MX's Club Atlas and Club América, Spanish La Liga's RCD Espanyol and Athletic Bilbao, and just recently France Ligue 1's Olympique de Marseille.
Bielsa, nicknamed as Loco Bielsa, or Madman Bielsa in English, because of his intense demeanor when coaching on and off the field, is currently a free agent manager after he resigned from his position with Marseille due to conflicts with the club's management.
Former China PR head coach Gao Hongbo is the only Chinese manager who had publicly expressed his desire for the job, Cri English reported.
