Nishino replaces dismissed Halilhodzic as Japan coach
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[April 09, 2018]
By Jack Tarrant
TOKYO, April 9 (Reuters) - Japan
Football Association (JFA) technical director Akira Nishino will
replace Vahid Halilhodzic as head coach of the Japanese national
team just two months before the World Cup finals, the JFA said on
Monday.
Nishino, who spent 10 seasons in charge of Gamba Osaka and became
the JFA's technical director in 2016, will have little time to
prepare for the tournament in Russia, where Japan are drawn in Group
H alongside Colombia, Poland and Senegal.
Japan have three friendly matches scheduled before opening their
World Cup campaign against Colombia on June 19.
Halilhodzic, who took over in March 2015, led the team to their
sixth straight World Cup finals after they finished top of Asian
qualifying Group B ahead of Saudi Arabia and Australia.
However, a draw with Mali and defeat to Ukraine in friendly matches
last month did nothing to ease concerns about the team's form this
year and increased the pressure on the 65-year-old.
"After we got into the World Cup we set up some friendly matches but
finally we decided to fire Halilhodzic two days ago," JFA President
Kozo Tashima told a packed news conference on Monday.
"We did not decide this just because of the results of the games or
because of the reporting but of course we listened to the player's
voices.
"After the matches against Mali and the Ukraine, the relationship
and trust between the coaches and the players had become diluted."
Tashima added that the Bosnian had not been expecting the decision.
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"When I told him directly, it was my impression that he was
surprised. He didn't expect this situation so he showed a little bit
of being upset and angry and he wanted to know the reason why,"
Tashima said.
Nishino, who made 12 appearances for his country as a player, is
most famous in Japan for coaching the national side to a victory
over Brazil at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
He also led J-League side Gamba Osaka to the AFC Champions League
title in 2008.
"We wanted the new manager to be promoted from within the JFA
because we have only two months before the World Cup," added
Tashima.
"So we decided on Nishino as the new manager because he knows the
team the most having seen them from the inside."
Halilhodzic is the third coach to depart from one of the five Asian
sides heading to Russia after they had secured qualification.
Australia and Saudi Arabia also changed coaches soon after they
booked their places, while South Korea replaced German Uli Stielike
with Shin Tae-yong for the final two matches of qualifying.
Japan's next warm-up game for the World Cup is against Ghana on May
30. (Reporting by Jack Tarrant; Editing by John O'Brien and
Christian Radnedge)
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