New national team manager Alberto Zaccheroni has targeted a top-three finish at next January's Asian Cup, and intends to use a velvet glove rather than an iron fist to get there.
The 57-year-old Italian was unveiled as Takeshi Okada's successor on Tuesday, bringing down the curtain on an almost two-month search that the Japan Football Association has been accused of taking too long to complete.
Zaccheroni's appointment came too late to secure a visa to lead the team in friendlies against Paraguay on Saturday and Guatemala three days later, but the former AC Milan and Juventus manager already has his sights set on the Jan. 7-29 continental tournament in Qatar.