NEWS

New Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni on Tuesday expressed his happiness at landing the Japan job, calling it “a big challenge.”

“It is my great pleasure to be here,” Zaccheroni told a press conference in Tokyo after signing a contract with the Japan Football Association. “When I received the offer from the JFA, I immediately thought I wanted to take them up on their offer with a sense of passion, and to make this a challenge.”
“I have coached clubs in Italy for more than 25 years. After winning Serie A [with AC Milan], which I believe is the toughest league, I was looking for the bigger challenge of coaching a national team.”
“Japan has made rapid progress in the last 10 years and can develop further. I would like to work with them and produce better results with them.”
In reference to Japan’s performance at the 2010 World Cup, where they reached the Round of 16, the 57-year-old Italian coach said: “They had good solidarity as a team and performed very well.
“I should also thank Mr. [Takeshi] Okada for his great work with the team. As the team has a good backbone, I will be able to make a good start with them.”
Zaccheroni, who formerly coached Udinese, AC Milan, Lazio, Torino and Juventus in Italy, said he would like to make a team that can make a good transition between offense and defense, and one that has good balance.
“First, I would like to communicate with the players so that we can work together to aim for greater things,” he stated.
Asked about the AFC Asian Cup in January, which will be his first major tournament as Japan coach, Zaccheroni replied: “We don’t have much time to prepare, but I’ve already started, holding meetings with coaches from yesterday.
“Japan already showed its ability in the World Cup and should show that in the Asian Cup as well. We should aim for a Top Three finish there.”
JFA Vice President Kuniya Daini commented on the Italian’s appointment:  “With his wonderful achievements and experience, I am convinced that Mr. Zaccheroni can help strengthen Japanese football and raise it to a higher level.”
In the coming week, Japan will play two friendly matches: against Paraguay on September 4 in Yokohama and Guatemala on September 7 in Osaka. In both games, the team will be under the direction of JFA Technical Director Hiromi Hara. Due to visa issues, the new coach will watch the games from the stands. His first match in charge will be a friendly on October 8.
JFA President Junji Ogura commented, “I have heard that Mr. Zaccheroni is a strategist. I hope he can realize the attacking football that we, Japan, are aiming to achieve. I believe that he can raise the level of the Samurai Blue to make them go beyond the Last Eight in the 2014 World Cup.”