Alberto Zaccheroni wants to create his own version of samurai-style football when he takes over as coach of Japan.
The former Juventus and AC Milan coach was introduced to the Japanese media on Tuesday, a day after the Japan Football Association hired him as the first Italian and the sixth foreigner to guide the national team.
''By the time this adventure is over, I want to create a lot of great memories and to show the fans Zaccheroni football, Zaccheroni samurai,'' the 57-year-old Italian told a news conference.
Zaccheroni takes over from Takeshi Okada, who quit after taking the Japan team, known locally as the ''Blue Samurai,'' to the second round of the World Cup, where it lost on penalties to Paraguay.
Zaccheroni, who won the 1999 Serie A title with Milan, said he was impressed with Japan's performance in South Africa.
''I saw at the World Cup that Japan is very consistent,'' Zaccheroni said in comments translated from Italian to Japanese. ''The team proved they are able to play at a World level and Okada did a very good job.''
Zaccheroni has more than 25 years experience at the club level but his job with Japan will be his first in charge of a national team.
''It didn't take me long to realize I wanted to accept this challenge,'' Zaccheroni said. ''There is a lot of work ahead and I'm looking forward to getting the support of everyone involved.''
Zaccheroni's first competitive tournament will be the Asian Cup in Qatar in January. He will watch from the stands when Japan plays Paraguay and Guatemala in friendlies at home on Sept. 4 and 7.
Zaccheroni said developing a rapport with the players will be key to his success in Japan.
''I want to have a very open relationship with the players,'' Zaccheroni said. ''It's not good to hold things back. This is a very young team so it's important to have a lot of communication with the players.''
