Futoshi Ikeda She left her position as coach of the Japanese women’s team after the Japan Football Association refused to offer her a contract extension following the team’s elimination from the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games. Ikeda, 53, led Nadeshiko to last year’s World Cup quarter-finals and they failed to improve on that performance in Paris earlier this month, when they were beaten 1-0 in extra time by the reigning gold medalists United States.
“I want to express my gratitude to the players and staff who fought with us as Nadeshiko Japan and the fans who cheered us on so much,” Ikeda said in a JFA statement on Wednesday. “I think we have grown and increased what we can do as a team… I want to reach even higher as Nadeshiko Japan and see what awaits us with the players. “I hope Nadeshiko Japan will continue to give of courage and inspiration to many people.”
Ikeda led Japan to the under-19 Asian title in 2017 and the under-20 team to a world title in 2018 before taking on the senior team after they were eliminated in the quarter-finals at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
There were some highlights during his tenure, including a 4-0 thrashing of eventual champions Spain in the group stage of last year’s World Cup, but he could not match the ambition of a nation that enjoyed success at the 2011 World Cup .
“Coach Ikeda’s leadership created unity as a team and showed us many times how to win tough matches,” said JFA President Miyamoto Tsuneyasu. “I believe that the players who gained experience under Coach Ikeda will further develop Japanese women’s football in the future.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
