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| | Zico's verdict on free kick specialists |
Saturday 22 November, 2008 |
| Brazil legend Zico gives his view on who is the better free kick taker - Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Alex Del Piero?
“They are two players with different styles, just like Andrea Pirlo and Ronaldinho take their kicks differently,” he explained in the Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Ibrahimovic always hits the ball very hard, like he did in Palermo last week. Del Piero is more creative, because he changes the way he strikes it.
“Above all, unlike most others, he shoots towards the goalkeeper's post, he doesn't seek the other corner. This is his great ability.”
Zico will be watching tonight's San Siro Scudetto showdown and keeping a close eye on Inter's five Brazilians - Julio Cesar, Douglas Maicon, Maxwell, Amantino Mancini and Adriano.
“Julio Cesar is my favourite, because he has improved so much. He has become decisive for Inter and the Selecao, a real number one.
“In Serie A I also saw that Alexander Doni and Rubinho have matured, proving the cliché that Brazil cannot export great goalkeepers is untrue.”
He may admire the range of free kick specialists in the Italian League, but was very unhappy at the curious new tactic adopted by Catania.
Last week there was controversy when Gianvito Plasmati lowered his shorts while standing in the defensive wall before Giuseppe Mascara curled in a free kick.
“Unfortunately I saw that trick Catania pulled against Torino. It is not the proper way to behave and this sort of unsporting conduct should be severely punished.”
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