Masatada Ishii facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Masatada Ishii | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 1 February 1967 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ichihara, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Thailand (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1982–1984 | Ichihara Midori High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | NTT Kanto | 43 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1997 | Kashima Antlers | 109 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Avispa Fukuoka | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 153 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Kashima Antlers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Omiya Ardija | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Samut Prakan City | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Buriram United | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Thailand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Masatada Ishii (石井 正忠, Ishii Masatada, born 1 February 1967) is a Japanese professional football manager and former player. He used to play as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both attack and defense. Currently, he is the head coach for the Thailand national football team.
Contents
Playing Career: A Midfielder's Journey
Masatada Ishii was born in Ichihara, Japan, on February 1, 1967. After finishing his studies at Juntendo University, he started his football career in 1989. He joined a club called NTT Kanto, which was part of the Japan Soccer League at the time. He played in many games during his first season.
In 1991, Ishii moved to Sumitomo Metal, which later became known as Kashima Antlers. A big change happened in Japanese football in 1992 when the Japan Soccer League was replaced by a new, more professional league called J1 League. In 1993, his team, Kashima Antlers, did very well. They finished second in the J1 League and also in the Emperor's Cup, which is another important football competition.
However, from 1996 onwards, Ishii didn't play as much. In 1998, he moved to Avispa Fukuoka for a short time. He decided to stop playing professional football at the end of the 1998 season.
Managerial Career: Leading Teams to Victory
After he stopped playing, Masatada Ishii started a new path in football as a coach. In 1999, he became a coach for Kashima Antlers, the same club he played for. He mostly worked as a physical coach, helping players stay fit and strong.
Kashima Antlers: First Japanese Manager
In July 2015, the main manager of Kashima Antlers left, and Ishii took over as the new manager. This was a special moment because he was the first Japanese person to manage the club in 21 years.
Under his leadership, Kashima Antlers achieved great success. In October 2015, they won the 2015 J.League Cup. The next year, in 2016, the club won the J1 League championship. This win also meant they qualified for the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup, a big international tournament where champions from different continents compete. Ishii was even named the J.League Manager of the Year for his amazing work.
At the Club World Cup, Kashima Antlers made history. They became the first team from Asia to reach the final of the tournament. In the final match, they played against the famous European champions, Real Madrid. The game was a thrilling 2–2 draw after 90 minutes, but Real Madrid won 4–2 after extra time. Even though they didn't win the final, reaching it was a huge achievement for an Asian team. However, in 2017, the team's performance wasn't as strong, and Ishii left the club in May 2017.
Omiya Ardija: A Return to His Roots
In November 2017, Ishii signed with Omiya Ardija. This was the same club where he started his playing career, known as NTT Kanto back then. He managed only three matches that season, and unfortunately, the club was moved down to a lower league, the J2 League. He stayed on as manager in 2018, hoping to bring the team back to the J1 League. However, Omiya Ardija finished in fifth place and didn't get promoted. Ishii resigned at the end of the 2018 season.
Samut Prakan City: A New Challenge in Thailand
On December 23, 2019, Masatada Ishii became the head coach of Samut Prakan City, a club in the Thai League 1, which is Thailand's top football league.
Buriram United: Winning Trebles
2021–22: A Domestic Treble
On December 1, 2021, Ishii was appointed head coach of Buriram United, another major club in Thailand. In 2022, his team won the 2021–22 Thai League 1 championship. This win also helped them qualify for the 2023–24 AFC Champions League, a top Asian club competition. During the 2021–22 season, Ishii led Buriram United to win three major domestic trophies: the Thai League 1, the Thai FA Cup, and the Thai League Cup. Winning all three in one season is called a treble, and it was the fourth time in the club's history they achieved this.
2022–23: Another Domestic Treble
The success continued into the next season. In 2023, Ishii guided Buriram United to win another treble. This was the first time in Thai football history that a club won a treble in two seasons in a row, which is sometimes called a 'Double Treble'. They secured this by winning the Thai FA Cup Final 2–0 against Bangkok United on May 28, 2023. This marked the fifth treble in Buriram United's history.
Thailand National Team: Leading the Nation
On November 22, 2023, Masatada Ishii was chosen to be the new head coach of the Thailand national football team. He took over from the previous coach, Alexandré Pölking. Ishii is the second Japanese coach to lead the Thailand national team, following Akira Nishino, who coached from 2019 to 2021.
Honours: Trophies and Awards
Masatada Ishii has achieved many great things both as a player and as a manager.
Player
Kashima Antlers
- J.League: 1996
- Emperor's Cup: 1997
- J.League Cup: 1997
Manager
Kashima Antlers
- J1 League: 2016
- Emperor's Cup: 2016
- J.League Cup: 2015
- Japanese Super Cup: 2017
- FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2016
Buriram United
- Thai League 1: 2021–22, 2022–23
- Thai FA Cup: 2021–22, 2022–23
- Thai League Cup: 2021–22, 2022–23
- Thailand Champions Cup runner-up: 2022, 2023
Thailand
- King's Cup: 2024
- ASEAN Championship runner-up: 2024
Individual Awards
- J.League Manager of the Year: 2016
- Thai League 1 Coach of the Year: 2021–22, 2022–23
- Thai League 1 Coach of the Month: December 2020, January 2022, November 2022, January 2023, February 2023
