Source: TheGuardian
Around the world with Zé Maria: from Brazil to Parma, Inter, Kenya and back
Zé Maria has worked with Ancelotti, Adriano, Ronaldo, Romário, Mancini, Mourinho and more – and he has stories to tellBy Joshua Law for Yellow & Green FootballZé Maria has some stories to tell. So many, in fact, that it takes three video calls over two days (and a lot of patience on his part) to even scratch the surface. Over the last 30 years, he has been from the bottom of world football to the top and back again, stopping on every step in between and at quite a few places around the edges.There are tales from his playing days: memories of Carlo Ancelotti, Fabio Cannavaro and Lilian Thuram at Parma; recollections of Roberto Mancini, Adriano and Luís Figo at Inter; stories of Mário Zagallo, Ronaldo and Romário Romario with Brazil. Then there are the times spent as a manager in Kenya, in a remote Romanian ski resort and the Albanian second tier. There are thoughts on the current state of football and on the barriers he faces as a black coach trying to take his career to the next level. Related: Sandro: 'It was a privilege to play for Spurs. Leaving is my biggest regret' Related: Luiz Felipe Scolari: 'Everything I did as a manager, I learned as a teacher' Related: Zico: 'I would not swap watching the Premier League for any other' Continue reading......read full article
