ZACCHERONI EMBRACES THE 2019 ASIA CUP ‘CHALLENGE’
▶ New UAE manager is tasked with delivering success at tournament to be held in Emirates
New UAE manager Alberto Zaccheroni says the national team will achieve its target of success at the 2019 Asian Cup only through hard work and team spirit.
The Italian, 64, was introduced to the media yesterday at the Football Association’s (FA) headquarters in Dubai after signing a 16-month contract, which runs to the conclusion of the continental showpiece.
He succeeds Argentine Edgardo Bauza, who concluded his fivemonth tenure last month to take the reins of Saudi Arabia.
Zaccheroni has extensive experience in Italian club football having led AC Milan to the 1998/99 Serie A title, but is is best known in this region for his four-year spell with Japan from 2010. During that time, he won the 2011 Asian Cup.
The UAE hope therefore that he can translate that success to the 2019 event, which takes place in the Emirates from January 5 to February 1. “There is a great challenge that motivates me very much: the 2019 Asian Cup challenge,” said Zaccheroni, sitting alongside FA president Marwan bin Ghalita.
“I’m very excited and proud to be a part of this project.
“I will use all my experience over the years in Italy and abroad to achieve the best results for the UAE.
“I’m not a person who likes to talk a lot, but I prefer to work on the pitch and with the players and the team as a whole. I began coaching at the lower levels and no one has given me anything for free.
“I have worked for everything I achieved in Italy and I will do the same here, to achieve everything for the Emirates, the players, the media and the public.”
Zaccheroni has been out of work since May last year, when he was dismissed as manager of Beijing Guoan, the Chinese Super League side, five months into his contract. He lasted only nine matches.
At the UAE, Zaccheroni takes charge of a side low on morale following last month’s failed bid to make next summer’s World Cup.
The UAE, who have only once qualified for a global finals, finished fourth in their group behind Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia. “I have to concentrate on the future, not what happened in the past,” Zaccheroni said.
“As the president said, it’s a very big and important challenge for everybody so we need to collaborate with everyone to achieve this goal.
“Clearly it’s the responsibility of coach and as players to do our best so that people can change their feelings about the disappointment of not qualifying.
“Self-belief comes from results and to achieve positive results we must build a good team. If we play collectively and all players embrace that, then we are sure we will get the results we want.”
Zaccheroni said he was attracted to the role because of the potential within the UAE side.
He has faced the national team before having managed Japan against Mahdi Ali’s men at the 2012 Kirin Cup. Back then, Japan triumphed 1-0. “When I was in Japan most people spoke very highly of the UAE,” said Zaccheroni, whose first match in charge is expected to be a friendly against Egypt next month.
“I do not know the players personally, but I will wait for the moment when we meet. Only then can I start to plan to achieve our goal.
“I’m not the type of coach who has an agent. I never go looking for anything special for myself. I like to go where they want me. Luckily the UAE FA called me and I accepted immediately. I didn’t take long to agree.”
I’m not a person who likes to talk a lot, but I prefer to work on the pitch and with the players and the team as a whole ALBERTO ZACCHERONI
The UAE Football Association chose Alberto Zaccheroni as manager of the national team because of his record in Asian football and his “charisma”, according to vice chairman Abdullah Naser Al Junaibi.
The Italian was on Monday installed as Edgardo Bauza’s replacement, signing a 16-month contract through to the 2019 Asian Cup. The continent’s showpiece event, it will be staged in the Emirates for only the second time.
Zaccheroni, 64, has a strong affiliation with the tournament having guided Japan to the title in 2011. The FA has targeted securing a first continental crown when the event kicks off on January 5, 2019, as the national team seek to rebound from last month’s failure to qualify for the World Cup next summer.
Al Junaibi headed the threeman committee charged with identifying Bauza’s successor and says he is confident the FA has appointed the right man.
Prior to four years with Japan from 2010, Zaccheroni managed a number of prominent Italian clubs, a time that included winning the 1998/99 Scudetto with AC Milan. “We went to several names, but we chose Zaccheroni because he coached the Japanese nation- al team and he won the same competition,” Al Junaibi said.
“So he is aware of all the Asian teams. That will make it very fast and give a short time for us to understand who we are playing against and to know what we need for the next period.
“Plus the CV that he has. He has the charisma, the technical vision, all of these things. So we did our homework and decided to sign with him.
“He accepted the challenge. He said, ‘I’m coming here not only to relax, I’m coming here to accept this challenge’.
“And I was surprised he knows the UAE national team since he played against us before. He knows the style of our players and how they work. That’s the main thing besides the personality and the charisma he has.”
Zaccheroni’s first match is expected to be a friendly against World Cup entrants Egypt on November 8 or 9.
Al Junaibi rejected concerns that Zaccheroni has not managed since May last year, when he was dismissed by Chinese club Beijing Guoan after nine matches in charge. “If anybody’s doing any kind of scouting for the big names, you will find it’s their decision to relax a little bit after having that long period of coaching,” he said.
“Zaccheroni was working as a technical analyser and was travelling with the Italian national team during the past period. It’s no [concern] at all. It encourages us that he’s had his relaxing time and now it’s to come back for business.”
Asked what would constitute success with Zaccheroni at the Asian Cup, Al Junaibi said: “Definitely our goal will be to achieve the championship. We have that faith in our head coach and the faith in our players as well.”
He knows the style of our players and how they work. That’s the main thing besides the personality and charisma he has ABDULLAH NASER AL JUNAIBI UAE FA vice chairman