Norio Sasaki facts for kids
Sasaki in 2015
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Norio Sasaki | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 24 May 1958 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Obanazawa, Yamagata, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Omiya Ardija Ventus (general manager) Japan women (interim manager) |
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| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1976 | Teikyo High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1980 | Meiji University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1991 | NTT Kanto | 25 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 25 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Omiya Ardija | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Japan women U-17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Japan women U-20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2016 | Japan women | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Omiya Ardija Ventus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Japan women (interim) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Norio Sasaki (born May 24, 1958) is a famous Japanese football coach and former player. He is best known for leading the Japanese women's national team to victory in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. This was Japan's first and only World Cup win. They beat the United States in a penalty shootout.
Sasaki was the head coach of the women's national team for eight years. He retired from that role in March 2016. He also coached the Japan women's U-20 national team starting in 2007. Currently, he is the general manager for Omiya Ardija Ventus and an interim manager for the Japan women's national team.
Contents
Playing Career: Early Days on the Field
Norio Sasaki played football during his school years. He went to Teikyo High School and then Meiji University. At Teikyo High School, he was the team captain. His team won a national competition for high schools. They also made it to the semi-finals of another big tournament.
After university, Sasaki started working for Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. He joined their company football club, NTT Kanto. He played as a midfielder or defender. He helped his team get promoted to Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1986. Sasaki stopped playing football when he was 33 years old.
Coaching Career: Leading the Nadeshiko Japan
After his playing career, Sasaki became a coach. In 1998, he was the head coach for Omiya Ardija. He also held other roles there, like coaching the youth team.
In 2006, Sasaki became an assistant coach for the Japan women's national football team. At the same time, he was the head coach for the U-20 women's team. In 2008, he became the main head coach for the senior national women's team, known as "Nadeshiko Japan."
Winning Championships with Nadeshiko Japan
Under Sasaki's leadership, Nadeshiko Japan won the EAFF Women's Football Championship twice. They won in 2008 and again in 2010. He also led the team to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Historic FIFA Women's World Cup Victory in 2011
The biggest moment for Sasaki and his team was winning the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. This was a huge surprise! They beat the host nation, Germany, and then Sweden. In the final, they faced the United States. The game ended in a tie, so they went to a penalty shootout. Japan won 3-1!
This victory was very special for Japan. The team received the People's Honour Award for their amazing achievement. On January 9, 2012, Sasaki was named the Women's Best Coach at the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or awards.
Olympic Silver Medal and World Cup Runner-Up
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sasaki led Japan to their first-ever Olympic football medal. They won a silver medal after reaching the final. They lost 2-1 to the United States in a close match.
In the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, Sasaki tried to win a second World Cup title. This would have been a very rare achievement. However, Japan finished as runner-up, losing 5-2 to the United States in the final.
After Japan failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, Sasaki decided to step down as head coach. Asako Takakura took over his role.
Honours and Awards
Norio Sasaki has received many awards and honours for his coaching career.
Managerial Honours
- Japan Women
- EAFF Women's Football Championship: 2008, 2010
- Asian Games: 2010 (Gold Medal), Runner-up: 2014 (Silver Medal)
- FIFA Women's World Cup: 2011 (Winner), Runner-up: 2015 (Silver Medal)
- Olympic Silver Medal: 2012
- AFC Women's Asian Cup: 2014 (Winner)
Individual Awards
- AFC Coach of the Year: 2011
- FIFA World Women's Coach of the year: 2011
- Japan Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2019
Decorations
- People's Honour Award: 2011 (Awarded to the Nadeshiko Japan team, including Sasaki)
See also
In Spanish: Norio Sasaki para niños
