Dubai: Former Japan and AC Milan coach Alberto Zaccheroni promised “only hard work” to achieve the dream of winning the Asian Cup on home soil in 2019, upon his unveiling as UAE coach on Tuesday.
The 64-year-old Italian, who also managed Inter Milan, Lazio and Juventus, has signed up on a 16-month deal for a reported $2.5 million (Dh9.2 million) replacing Edgardo Bauza, who resigned after just three competitive games in charge of the UAE to join Saudi Arabia last month.
The Italian’s pedigree as a 2011 Asian Cup winner with Japan prompted the UAE FA to seek his services, but he immediately braced his players for the challenge.
“I began coaching at the lower levels and no one has given me anything for free,” he said. “I have worked for everything I achieved in Italy and I will do the same here, to achieve everything for the UAE. But it will be only hard work. This is a great challenge that motivates me very much and I am very excited and proud to be involved. I came here to succeed in this challenge, but we have to work together for that, and this is what I will tell the players.”
