"Zico told me he wants to serve as head coach at a club in Europe after the World Cup. He may have developed a taste for the job of coaching while in Japan," Kawabuchi told Japanese media on Friday.

The FA chief said he met on Thursday with the 53-year-old Brazilian, a veteran of three World Cups as a player, to inform him that the association would shortly start looking for his replacement.

Zico took over the job after Frenchman Philippe Troussier piloted Japan to the last-16 round in the 2002 World Cup finals co-hosted by Japan and South Korea. He guided Japan to their third Asian Cup championship in 2004.

Zico first came to play in Japan in 1991 and helped launch Japan's first professional league, the J-League, in 1993. He retired as a player with the Kashima Antlers in 1994 and then became their technical adviser. Enditem

Editor:

Liu Dan