Masashi Watanabe

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Masashi Watanabe
Personal information
Full nameMasashi Watanabe
Date of birth(1936-01-11)January 11, 1936
Place of birthHiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
Date of deathDecember 7, 1995(1995-12-07) (aged 59)
Place of deathChiba, Chiba, Japan
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing positionForward
Youth career
1951Sotoku High School
1951–1953Hiroshima Motomachi High School
1958–1961Rikkyo University
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1954–1958Yawata Steel
1962–1971Nippon Steel79(19)
Total79(19)
National team
1958–1969Japan39(12)
Teams managed
1969–1975Nippon Steel
1980Japan
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Biography

Watanabe was born in Hiroshima on January 11, 1936. After graduating from Sotoku High School, he joined Yawata Steel (later Nippon Steel) in 1954. In 1958, he left Yawata Steel and entered Rikkyo University. After graduating from Rikkyo University, he joined Yawata Steel again in 1962. In 1965, Yawata Steel joined new league Japan Soccer League. He retired in 1971. He played 79 games and scored 19 goals in the league. He was selected Best Eleven in 1968.

On December 25, 1958, when Watanabe was a Rikkyo University student, he debuted for the Japan national team against Hong Kong. He played at 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. At 1968 Summer Olympics, he played 5 games and scored 2 goals against Brazil and France. Japan also won Bronze Medal. In 2018, this team was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame. He also played at 1962 and 1966 Asian Games. He played 39 games and scored 19 goals for Japan until 1969.

In 1969, when Watanabe played for Yawata Steel (later Nippon Steel), he became a playing manager. He managed the club until 1975. In 1979, he became an assistant coach for Japan national team under manager Yukio Shimomura. At 1980 Summer Olympics qualifying in April 1980, following Japan's failure to qualify for 1980 Summer Olympics, Shimomura resigned a manager. In May, Watanabe was promoted to manager as Shimomura successor. However, just before 1982 World Cup qualification in December, he suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage and replaced to Saburo Kawabuchi.

On December 7, 1995, Watanabe died of heart failure in Chiba at the age of 59. In 2006, he was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame.

Statistics

[1]

Japan national team
YearAppsGoals
1958 2 1
1959 8 4
1960 1 0
1961 6 1
1962 3 0
1963 5 3
1964 1 0
1965 3 0
1966 2 1
1967 3 1
1968 2 0
1969 3 1
Total 39 12

References

Other websites