Japan Football Association fires coach Aguirre

For the love of God, offer Nadeshiko Japan's coach, Norio Sasaki, whatever he wants to coach the team!

(Why he'd leave an awesome group of selfless World Cup champions is beyond me, but... maybe briefcases full of cash will persuade him...)

Doesn't matter really who will coach Japan. Until soccer players here are raised to use their bodies correctly (If you look at how Honda walks, for example, you'll see his body mechanics are all wrong) they will not be quick and agile enough to challenge the better soccer sides in the world.

Japan hasn't had a plan for the last 20 years. They've gone from French coach, to Brazilian, to Serbian, to Japanese, to Italian, to Mexican. That's 6 complete changes in style as well as language! No wonder the players haven't got a clue - by the time they get used to something it's all change.

A national team coach needs to be able to motivate the players, as well as have the respect of the players. He doesn't need to be the best 'coach' as the time spent with the players is minimal.

Kazu would work for Japan I think.

Get Kazu in with a group of experienced coaches, and give him 6 years minimum. What is there to lose?

I miss zaccheroni

wait - so he signed on for 4 years @ 300 000 000 yen per year ? so they have to pay him out of that contract (since the JFA terminated it). Jesus, hats an expensive mistake.

How about a Japanese manager next time ? say.. Hidetoshi Nakata. He might be able to teach them to be a bit more goal hungry on the ball.

Neither yellow nor red...pink slip !

How about a Japanese manager next time ?

Absolutely. Australia had been doing the same for years, failing to fulfill potential with foreign managers each differing in philosophy. We've just won the Asian Cup with an Australian at the helm who's had the guts to rely on a squad of relatively unknown youngsters. In the past these foreign managers refused to blood untried players because they had no responsibility for future development beyond their contracts. They were only concerned with performance bonuses. Where possible a country should always give preference to one of its own. In Japan's case it's even more pertinent because of language.

He was fired for match-fixing claims? And the chance that that might affect Japan's success as a footballing nation? Give me a break...

They must have known many months ago, before signing him, that he was suspected of this, but they probably thought (hoped) that the toothless Japanese press wouldn't pick up in this (which they didn't). Too bad many other countries have journos worth their salt. Journos that ask questions, dig, ask some more and find their answers.

I suspect we'll see the moving toward Sakoku 2.0 with the hiring of a "safe" choice - a Japanese coach. Doesn't really matter as the team doesn't hold up, but it'll be more comfortable for the Blazer Boys in JFA top positions.

Maybe they should have a coach whose name they can pronounce correctly.

Tell me about it. They could have easily chosen to call him アギッレ (as would be most similar to his name, Aguirre) in stilted katakana, but somehow, he was officially known as アギーレ (Aguiire). Why? Probably says something about ignorance and non-understanding in leadership...

There MUST be a talented Japanese manager available - Mr.Sasaki would be great as others have mentioned. But sadly, I doubt the JSA will consider a local - it seems the soccer fraternity in Japan have very little confidence in the ability of Japanese coaches which is unfair. It will go to some semi-retired European or South American who was a great coach... 30 years ago.

So, where are the players who so bravely stood behind him before the Asian Cup started? Why'd the JFA 180 after saying they stood behind him just after the Asian Cup ended, to which I gave them credit for because I thought for sure they would... oh... fire him. Guess they just thought waiting a few days would make it seem like there were other factors. Or would they still have fired him if they won the AC?

In any case, doesn't matter whom they hire without checking first next time, the team still won't play well if they won't play well.

harvey pekar

I cannot think that as far back, when I started to scream that, every time they hired another failed businessman ...