INTERVIEW: Lucio - Success is Bayern DNA

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  • Lucio spent five years at Bayern Munich.

    When the Bayern Munich faithful greet the return of Champions League football tonight, a club icon will be thousands of miles away in much warmer climes.

    Granite Brazil centre-back Lucio is sure to be an interested observer when his former team kick-off their Group F campaign against Olympiakos, watching on from Dubai where FC Goa are preparing for the new Indian Super League season.

    The 37-year-old enjoyed five glorious years at FCB from 2004, cementing a reputation as one of the finest defenders produced by the most successful football nation. 

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    Equally happy dancing past strikers with the ball as putting in a brutal reducer, the 2002 World Cup-winner is a figure who still demands both respect and fear in equal measure from opponents.

    Success in Europe’s premier club competition eluded the 37-year-old in Munich, victory in it finally coming five years ago at Internazionale. 

    Speaking at Dubai Sports City, he was under no illusion about the continued importance of the tournament to the hotly-tipped five-times winners.

    “The Champions League is the target of Bayern Munich,” Lucio said. “They want to be champions. “This is because they are 
    always first in the Bundesliga. The next thing is to be champions of Europe.”

    Under head coach Pep Guardiola, the German heavyweights have dominated domestically but suffered two-successive semi-final humilations in the Champions League to Real Madrid and Barca.

    It was a similar situation for Lucio, who scored 12 goals in 218 appearances for Bayern after his 12 million (then worth Dh53.62m) move from rivals Bayer Leverkusen – a club for whom he tasted Champions League-final defeat to Los Blancos in 2002.

    He partnered defenders such as giant Belgium international Daniel Van Buyten and current Manchester City veteran Martin Demichelis. It was a powerful mix in Germany, Lucio winning three Bundesliga crowns, three DFB-Pokal cups and two DFB-Ligapokals there.

    His successful tenure ended abruptly under Louis van Gaal in 2009, the Dutchman packing off the vice-captain to Inter.

    “I still follow Bayern and have many friends there,” he said. “Bayern Munich is the biggest club in Germany and they are still investing in the team to stay at the top.

    “It was the same when I was there. I went back to Munich recently to see my friends in the club. I spent five great years there.”

    Success with the Nerazzurri was immediate, plentiful and laced with revenge on Van Gaal. Under Jose Mourinho in 2009-10, a historic treble containing Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League was achieved. 

    The European triumph came against the Dutchman who had discarded him, Lucio laying the platform at the back in the decider for Argentina striker Diego Milito to score both goals in a 2-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu.

    The victory put Lucio into an exclusive club of players who have lifted the sport’s grandest club and international prizes. How does he rank the pair?

    He replied: “I was very happy with Jose Mourinho at Internazionale, it was a nice time with him. We fought to be winners and champions of everything.

    “For sure, the World Cup is top. But both competitions are very, very nice.

    “After the World Cup, for sure the Champions League is the best one. To be a world champion is the most important moment of my career.”

    Short spells at Juventus, Sao Paulo and Palmeiras followed his Inter exit in 2012. 

    He is now preparing for a new adventure, Brazil icon Zico signing him up for FC Goa ahead of the second ISL campaign which kicks off on October 4 against Delhi 
    Dynamos.

    His current head coach also holds ambitions to attain the FIFA presidency. Zico issued a 10-point manifesto earlier this month highlighting his desire for greater democracy and transparency in the scandal-hot organisation, currently under wide-ranging investigation for corruption by United States and Swiss authorities.

    The 62-year-old – eighth in 1999’s FIFA Player of the Century grand jury vote and a former sports minister in Brazil – has put himself forward as a 
    candidate to replace controversial outgoing supremo Sepp Blatter.

    Lucio had no doubts his boss was the right man for the biggest job in football.

    He said: “If you consider everything that is happening with FIFA at the moment, then a name like Zico is correct. His personality is the right one. 

    “He is a good name to be a candidate to be president. The ideas he has about democracy and transparency are the most important things.

    “Zico could help a lot if he was president of FIFA. Also, he has exp-erience as a player, a coach and as the first sports minister of Brazil.”

    FC Goa reached the semi-finals of the inaugural ISL, being beaten by Chennaiyin FC. The competition is star-studded and based on cricket’s wildly-successful Indian Premier League (IPL). 

    Lucio is part of a grand cast of celebrated former stars, looking to grow the sport in the world’s second-most-populous nation.

    Fellow marquee players include Portugal striker Helder Postiga at Atletico de Kolkata, Romania veteran Adrian Mutu and Mumbai City player-manager Nicolas Anelka.

    The talent extends to the wider foreigners’ list, including ex-Chelsea winger Florent Malouda, Champions League winner at Liverpool John Arne Riise and former Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora.

    Lucio was both looking forward to the challenges ahead and aware of the educational role he can provide with his incredible experiences of elite competition.

    He added: “It is a new challenge for me. I was selected by Zico and I think I can help the group a lot.

    “My experiences mean I can be good for the other players and the club, also.”

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