Zaccheroni outlines UAE’s roadmap for Asian Cup
dubai — With exactly 238 days left to go to the AFC Asian Cup on home soil, UAE coach Alberto Zaccheroni outlined the roadmap as the country eyes the biggest prize in Asian football.
The Italian, who masterminded Japan’s title triumph in the competition in 2011, listed out a number of camps abroad as well as at home, sprinkled with friendlies, as the UAE look to be battle-ready when the tournament plays out from January 5 to February 1.
There will be five camps spread across Europe and here as the UAE aims to finally clinch the title after the runners-up finish in 1996 at home and third place in Australia in 2015.
The first camp will be held from August 1 to 18 in Austria with the second to be held in Girona, Spain from September 1 to 11. The fourth camp will be held in Barcelona, also in Spain, from October 6
There is no place for players who are not committed and disciplined in our dream to achieve the Asian Cup Alberto Zaccheroni
to 16. The fourth and fifth camps, scheduled to run from November 6 to 20 and December 15 to 31 respectively will be held at home, most likely in Al Ain.
Plenty of trial matches as well as friendlies have been scheduled on Fifa days against African, European and Latin American teams.
The first friendly during the Austrian camp in Salzburg will be played on August 18. Two friendlies are scheduled during the camp in Girona and two friendlies in Barcelona. Two more friendlies will be played during the fourth camp at home in November.
Zaccheroni, who travelled across different venues in the UAE to have a look at players during the different domestic competitions, also revealed a bigger player pool of 50, according to AFC regulations.
The 65-year-old, who has also managed AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, said that the 30 players will be involved during the camps. But he reiterated that the list was not final and left the door open until December for any player outside of the pool, who has impressed, to make it to the final squad.
Zaccheroni will be hampered a bit in December as he will miss a number of Al Ain players who will be competing in the Fifa Club World Cup.
Zaccheroni also said that there will be a zero tolerance policy when it comes to discipline and added that those who don’t toe the line, whoever it may be, will be omitted from the squad. “There is no place for players who are not committed and disciplined in our dream to achieve the Asian Cup. Any player who breaches discipline, will be excluded from the squad,” Zaccheroni told media at the UAE Football Association Headquarters on Saturday.
5 Camps will be spread across Europe and UAE as preparations for the team
The hosts have been drawn in Group A alongside India, Thailand and Bahrain and Zaccheroni said it won’t be an easy path.
“It’s an honour to compete in Asia. We have India Bahrain and Thailand, and it won’t be easy. We’re going to have strong teams. We have to enter the competition with all the strength to achieve positive results that will ensure us to reach the knockout stage and even win. I am responsible for this, and I promise to work and use my experience to prepare the UAE team. The UAE is competitive and one of the strongest teams in Asia,” he said.
james@khaleejtimes.com