Alberto Zaccheroni was hired as the new Japan coach at the start of the month and, while little is known about him outside of his native Italy, he should be given time to settle into his new role.
The meal that the JFA made of hiring a successor to Takeshi Okada has made his job a lot tougher than it needed to be though, and my thoughts on the subject can be read here.
I spoke with Shinji Okazaki and Eiji Kawashima after Japan defeated Paraguay at the weekend and both told me that they are very much looking forward to the start of Alberto Zaccheroni’s reign as Japan coach.
Their comments can be found by following the links below:
Hajime Hosogai made an impressive debut in the heart of the Japan midfield against Paraguay on Saturday.
I managed to get a few words with the Urawa Reds enforcer after the match and you can see what he had to say here:
As the JFA conducted their search for a new coach overseas, I wondered if they were wasting a lot of time and energy when there were a number of outstanding candidates already in Japan.
These musings turned into an article for the website of the English football magazine When Saturday Comes which you can read here:
I had a chat with Urawa Reds defender Matthew Spiranovic after his side’s 1-1 draw with Kashima Antlers at the weekend, when we discussed his recall to the Australian national team.
Please follow the links below to see what he had to say.
English: http://www.the-afc.com/en/afc-asian-cup-news/30204-spiranovic-targets-place-in-afc-asian-cup-squad
日本語：http://www.the-afc.com/jp/afc-asian-cup-news/30204-spiranovic-targets-place-in-afc-asian-cup-squad
Sakka Nihon 