Akira Nishino

Akira Nishino
	Nishino managing Japan at the 2018 World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Akira Nishino
Date of birth	April 7, 1955 (age 69)
Place of birth	Saitama, Saitama, Japan
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1971–1973	Urawa Nishi High School
1974–1977	Waseda University
Senior career*
Years	Team
1978–1990	Hitachi
Total
National team
1977–1978	Japan
Teams managed
1991–1992	Japan U-20
1994–1996	Japan U-23
1998–2001	Kashiwa Reysol
2002–2011	Gamba Osaka
2012	Vissel Kobe
2014–2015	Nagoya Grampus
2018	Japan
2019-	Thailand
2019–	Thailand U-23
Honours
Hitachi
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Akira Nishino (西野朗, Nishino Akira, born April 7, 1955) is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team. He also managed the Japan national team.

Biography

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

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.

After retirement, in 1990, Nishino became an assistant 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.

In 1997, Nishino returned to Kashiwa Reysol and became an assistant coach. In 1998, he became a manager. In 1999, he led the club to win the J.League Cup. In 2000, the club won the 3rd place in J1 League for 2 years in a row and he received "Best Managers award". However, he was sacked for poor performance in July 2001. In 2002, he signed with Gamba Osaka. In 2005, the club won J1 League for the first time in club history and he was selected for the "Best Manager award". In 2008, the club won AFC Champions League and the 3rd place at Club World Cup. He was also selected "AFC Coach of the Year awards". The club also won the 2007 J.League Cup, the 2008 and the 2009 Emperor's Cup. He resigned end of 2011 season. In May 2012, he signed with Vissel Kobe as Masahiro Wada's successor. However, he was sacked in November. In 2014, he signed with Nagoya Grampus and managed the club until 2015.

In March 2016, Nishino returned to the Japan Football Association as a technical director. In April 2018, Japan national team manager Vahid Halilhodžić was sacked and Nishino was named as the new manager. In the 2018 World Cup, Japan qualified to the knockout stage, becoming the only Asian team to do so in the World Cup. However, his Japan lost 2–3 to Belgium despite having led 2–0, thus were eliminated from the tournament.

In 2019, Nishino was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame.

In July 2019, Nishino became a manager Thailand national team and Thailand U-23 national team.

Statistics

^[1]

Club statistics			League
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals
Japan			League
1978	Hitachi	JSL Division 1	13	1
1979			12	0
1980			15	6
1981			8	1
1982			15	4
1983			18	2
1984			17	2
1985/86			22	12
1986/87			17	1
1987/88		JSL Division 2	21	1
1988/89		JSL Division 2	28	2
1989/90		JSL Division 1	6	0
Country	Japan		192	32
Total			192	32