Akira Nishino (footballer)

Akira Nishino (西野 朗, Nishino Akira, born 7 April 1955) is a Japanese football manager and former player who currently works as the head coach of Thailand national football team.

Akira Nishino
西野 朗
Nishino as Japan manager at the 2018 World Cup
Personal information
Full name Akira Nishino
Date of birth (1955-04-07) 7 April 1955
Place of birth Saitama, Saitama, Japan
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
Thailand (manager)
Youth career
1971–1973 Urawa Nishi High School
1974–1977 Waseda University
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1990 Hitachi
National team
1977–1978 Japan 12 (1)
Teams managed
1991–1992 Japan U20
1994–1996 Japan U23
1998–2001 Kashiwa Reysol
2002–2011 Gamba Osaka
2012 Vissel Kobe
2014–2015 Nagoya Grampus
2018 Japan
2019- Thailand
2019– Thailand U23
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Nishino was born in Saitama on 7 April 1955. After graduating from Waseda University,[1] he joined Hitachi in 1978. The club won the 2nd place at 1980 JSL Cup and 1982 Japan Soccer League. He retired in 1990. He was elected Best Eleven in 1985–86.

International career

In March 1977, when Nishino was a Waseda University student, he was selected in Japan national team for 1978 World Cup qualification. At this qualification, on 6 March, he debuted against Israel. He played 12 games and scored 1 goal for Japan until 1978.[2]

Management career

After retirement, in 1990, Nishino became a coach for Hitachi (later Kashiwa Reysol). From 1991, he managed the Japan U-20 national team and Japan U-23 national team. At U-23 Japan in 1996 Summer Olympics Qualifiers, Japan qualified to 1996 Summer Olympics for the first time in 28 years since 1968 Summer Olympics, where Japan won the Bronze Medal. At 1996 Olympics, although Japan won 2 matches, Japan lost in the First round. At this time, Japan beat Brazil in first game. It was known as the "Miracle of Miami" (マイアミの奇跡) in Japan.[3][1]

In 1997, Nishino returned to Kashiwa Reysol and became a coach. In 1998, he became a manager. In 1999, he led the club to win the 1999 J.League Cup.[4] In 2000, the club won the 3rd place in J.League Division 1 for 2 years in a row and he received Best Managers award. However, he was sacked in July 2001. In 2002, he signed with Gamba Osaka. In 2005, the club won J.League Division 1 for the first time in club history and he was elected for the Best Manager award. In 2008, the club won AFC Champions League and the 3rd place at Club World Cup. He was also elected AFC Coach of the Year awards. The club also won the 2007 J.League Cup, the 2008 and the 2009 Emperor's Cup.[5] He resigned in 2011. In May 2012, he signed with Vissel Kobe as Masahiro Wada's successor. However, he was sacked in November.[6] In 2014, he signed with Nagoya Grampus and managed the club until 2015.[7]

In March 2016, Nishino returned to the Japan Football Association as a technical director.[8] In April 2018, Japan national team manager Vahid Halilhodžić was sacked and Nishino was named as the new manager.[9] A big challenge for Nishino was lack of time for preparation, while also being doubted because of his lack of coaching experience. Nonetheless, in the 2018 World Cup, he registered history by helping Japan to beat Colombia 2–1, the first ever defeat of a CONMEBOL team to an Asian side. His brilliant tactics continued to be demonstrated when Japan held Senegal in a 2–2 draw. His Japan lost 0–1 to Poland in the final group match, but as Japan received lesser yellow cards than Senegal, Japan qualified to the knockout stage, becoming the only Asian team to do so in the 2018 World Cup. However, his Japan lost 2–3 to Belgium despite having led 2–0, thus were eliminated from the tournament.[10][1] Nishino is scheduled to step down once his current term expires at the end of July, following the World Cup.[11]

Nishino consented to take charge of the Thailand's senior and under-23 national sides on 17 July 2019, became the first Asian to coach Thailand,[12][13] and on 24 January 2020, this contract has been extended until 2022.[14]

Career statistics

Club

Club performance League
Season Club League AppsGoals
Japan League
1978HitachiJSL Division 1131
1979120
1980156
198181
1982154
1983182
1984172
1985/862212
1986/87171
1987/88JSL Division 2
1988/89
1989/90JSL Division 160
Total 14329

International

Japan[2]
YearAppsGoals
197740
197881
Total121

Managerial statistics

As of 18 January 2020[15][16]
Team From To Record
GWDLWin %
Kashiwa Reysol 1998 2001 109 67 2 40 061.47
Gamba Osaka 2002 2011 328 172 67 89 052.44
Vissel Kobe 2012 2012 19 5 6 8 026.32
Nagoya Grampus 2014 2015 68 26 16 26 038.24
Japan 2018 2018 7 2 1 4 028.57
Thailand 2019 Present 6 2 3 1 033.33
Thailand U23 2019 Present 9 4 2 3 044.44
Total 546 278 97 171 050.92

Honours

Manager

Kashiwa Reysol
Gamba Osaka

Individual

Player
Manager

References

  1. "Waseda's significant role in history of Japanese football". Waseda University. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  2. Japan National Football Team Database
  3. "Can Akira Nishino get Japan on course in time to make World Cup impact?". ESPN. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  4. "Meet the Club World Cup Teams: Kashiwa Reysol". Goal. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  5. "GAMBA OSAKA". J.league. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  6. "VISSEL KOBE club information: History: 2012". Vissel Kobe. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  7. "Grampus manager Nishino to step down". J.league. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  8. "Coaches - Akira Nishino". FIFA. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  9. "Japan fire Vahid Halilhodzic, hire Akira Nishino before World Cup". ESPN. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  10. "World Cup 2018: Akira Nishino will not continue as Japan coach, despite an excellent World Cup". FOX Sports. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  11. "Nishino to Step Down as Coach of Japan National Soccer Team". JIJI PRESS. Archived from the original on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  12. "สมาคมฯ ประกาศแต่งตั้ง อากิระ นิชิโนะ คุมช้างศึกชุดใหญ่และ U23" [The association announced the appointment of Akira Nishino to oversee the War Elephant and U23]. Football Association of Thailand. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  13. "Football: Akira Nishino officially named Thailand head coach". Kyodo News. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  14. "เป็นทางการ "ส.บอลไทย" แถลงต่อสัญญา "นิชิโนะ" เพิ่มอีก 2 ปี" (in Thai). Thairath. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  15. J.League Data Site(in Japanese)
  16. "Football: Akira Nishino". footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
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