Can Japan afford Monsieur Wenger?

Japan football chief Saburo Kawabuchi believes they wouldn’t be able to afford Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger even if they manage to lure him to Japan at the third time of asking. Coach Zico steps down at the end of the World Cup in Germany and the Japanese will be looking for a successor to take over the reins.

The Frenchman, who has experience of coaching in the J-League with Nagoya Grampus Eight, was again top of the list to replace Zico but the Arsenal chief is under contract until 2008.

And Kawabuchi believes they might have to double what they were going to pay Wenger’s initially before they chose Zico.

One option is to recruit a home based manager. I think it would work out a lot cheaper.