Mexico’s Aguirre named Japan coach
Print Edition
FORMER Mexico coach Javier Aguirre has been appointed to manage Japan’s national team replacing Alberto Zaccheroni, local media reported yesterday.
The 55-year-old Aguirre, who coached Mexico at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups and was in charge of La Liga side Espanyol last season when the club finished 14th, will come to Japan in the middle of August to formally sign the deal, Kyodo news agency said.
The financial terms and the length of the deal were not disclosed.
Zaccheroni’s four-year spell in charge of the Asian champion ended in Brazil when Japan finished bottom of its World Cup group, falling short of the Italian’s ambition to take the team to a first quarterfinal. The team’s dismal World Cup campaign ended with a 1-4 defeat by Colombia after an opening 1-2 loss to Ivory Coast and a 0-0 draw with 10-man Greece.
Aguirre, a former midfielder nicknamed “El Vasco” (Basque) who helped Mexico reach the quarterfinals when it hosted the tournament in 1986, steered his country to the last 16 on both World Cup appearances as the team head coach.
He has also coached Atletico Madrid, Osasuna and Real Zaragoza in Spain.
Aguirre’s first task will be to prepare Japan to defend its title at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia in January, and then qualification for the 2018 World Cup. His first game as Japan manager will be on September 5 in a friendly against Uruguay, with another game against Venezuela set for September 9.
In five trips to the World Cup, Japan has only advanced to the knockout stage twice — when it co-hosted the tournament with South Korea in 2002 and in 2010.
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