Gert Engels facts for kids

Gert Engels is a German football coach and former player. He is well-known for his long career in Japan. He helped shape modern professional football there.

Engels grew up in a football family. He played for a famous German team, Borussia Mönchengladbach. Later, he studied sports science. He then began his coaching journey in Japan. He is seen as a pioneer of the J.League, Japan's professional football league.

He has won many important titles in Japan. These include the Emperor's Cup five times. He also won a Japanese championship, a Japanese Super Cup, and the AFC Champions League. In 2018, he was honored as a "German Football Ambassador." This award recognized his work in connecting Germany and Japan through sports. He speaks Japanese fluently and feels very at home in Japan. People sometimes call him "half-Japanese."

Gert Engels' Football Journey

Playing Football in Germany

Gert Engels started playing football at SG Düren 99. He then joined Borussia Mönchengladbach. This was during their most successful time in the 1970s. Even though he didn't play in the top league, he was part of the team. They won the German championship in 1976 and 1977.

At 22, he chose to play football part-time. He wanted to study sports science. He played for SV Baesweiler 09 and later returned to SG Düren 99.

Coaching Career Begins in Japan

When he was 32, Engels stopped playing football. He moved to Japan to become a coach. He had to learn Japanese, which helped him a lot later. He could then understand and share ideas from international coaches.

His first coaching job was as a player-coach for Prima Aseno FC. This team is now known as Mito Hollyhock. After that, he taught sports at Takigawa Daini High School.

Coaching Professional Teams

In 1993, Engels became an assistant coach for Yokohama Flügels. He worked under several coaches. In 1998, he became the head coach. He led the Flügels to win the Emperor's Cup.

After his team merged with another, Engels coached JEF United Ichihara. Then he coached Kyoto Sanga. Even though the team was relegated, he helped them get promoted right away. They also won another Emperor's Cup.

In 2004, Engels joined Urawa Red Diamonds as an assistant coach. He worked with Guido Buchwald. They won the Emperor's Cup in 2005. In 2006, they won both the Emperor's Cup and the league championship.

After Buchwald left, Engels continued with Holger Osieck. They won the AFC Champions League in 2007. This was the first international title for Urawa and Japan in that competition. Engels then became the head coach for a short time.

Coaching National Teams and Women's Football

In 2011, Engels became the head coach for the Mozambique national football team. He coached them for two years. He won three of his twelve international matches. One notable win was 2-0 against Morocco.

For five years, Engels focused on his football school in Germany. In 2018, he returned to Japan. He was an assistant coach for Vissel Kobe. There, he coached famous players like Andrés Iniesta and Lukas Podolski. Later, he was an assistant coach at Kyoto Sanga.

During the pandemic, he coached a women's team for the first time. He led INAC Kobe Leonessa to finish second in the 2020 Japanese league.

Major Achievements

International Titles

• AFC Champions League: Winner in 2007
• FIFA Club World Cup: 3rd place in 2007

National Titles

• J.League: Champion in 2006
• WE League: Runner-up in 2020
• J2 League: Champion in 2001
• Emperor's Cup: Winner in 1993, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2006
• Japanese Super Cup: Winner in 2006

Other Recognitions

• German Football Ambassador: Awarded in 2018

Interesting Facts

• Since 2009, Engels has run a football school called "SoccerLife" in his hometown of Düren, Germany. He trains Japanese players and helps them join professional clubs.
• During the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Engels worked as a TV analyst for Japanese television.
• He is married and has two children.

See also

In Spanish: Gert Engels para niños