Alberto Zaccheroni Ready To 'Turn The Page' At Juventus

New Juventus coach Alberto Zaccheroni has been presented at the club following his first training session in command on Friday.

The 56-year-old took over the reigns from Ciro Ferrara, who was let go following the Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Inter. The Bianconeri have performed below expectations this season, sitting sixth in Serie A and also being eliminated from the Champions League at the group stages.

"It's time to turn the page, but I recognise the previous work, because Juventus offer a winning [brand of] football," Zaccheroni said to the press, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.

"I like challenges, starting a new cycle. The staff is very important and I don't know how many teams are superior to Juve. I'll bring my expertise, but mostly I believe I will be able to meet this challenge."

The new man went said that the squad had been very accommodating and have given him a warm welcome.

"The welcome was good,” he said. “The first reaction of the team? Not a single player had a negative attitude."

It may be his first day on the job, but Zaccheroni is well aware of the size of the task he faces and what is expected of him.

"It's a major challenge for a club that has made football history in Italy and around the world and for me it's a real honour to be entrusted with the management of this situation. The objective is entering the top four in the league. The minimum target for this year is entry into the Champions League."

Juventus are currently in the midst of the worst sequence of results in the
club's history and Zaccheroni said his first task would be to instil a winning mentality back into the squad.

"I will try to intervene on the technical and tactical aspects, but at the moment the main issue is the psychological aspect," he said. "What we can do better? Why [Felipe] Melo and Diego are not playing as expected?"

Finally, the new coach added that he hoped to stay beyond the end of his short-term contract.

"I accepted the job with great enthusiasm. For me it's a source of pride to be here. Juventus are a top club. To coach and sit on the bench of Juventus is the best job around and I will try to convince them to keep me beyond June 30."

Zaccheroni's greatest success came at AC Milan, when he won the Scudetto in 1999. He has also had stints at Udinese, Lazio, Inter, and Torino among other clubs.