Ryuzo Hiraki facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Ryuzo Hiraki | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | October 7, 1931 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sakai, Osaka, Empire of Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | January 2, 2009 (aged 77) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Toyota, Aichi, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1948–1950 | Kishiwada High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1951–1956 | Kwansei Gakuin University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1957 | Yuasa Batteries | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1958–1966 | Furukawa Electric | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1954–1962 | Japan | 30 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1962–1965 | Furukawa Electric | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965 | Japan U-20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1969 | Japan U-20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Ryuzo Hiraki (平木 隆三, Hiraki Ryūzō, October 7, 1931 – January 2, 2009) was a famous Japanese football player and manager. He was born in Sakai, Japan, and became a skilled defender. Hiraki played many games for the Japanese national team. Later, he also coached several teams, including the national team.
Contents
Ryuzo Hiraki's Club Career
Ryuzo Hiraki started his football journey after finishing university. In 1957, he joined a team called Yuasa Batteries. The next year, in 1958, he moved to Furukawa Electric.
Winning the Emperor's Cup
While playing for Furukawa Electric, Hiraki and his team had great success. They won the Emperor's Cup, a major football tournament in Japan, three times! They lifted the trophy in 1960, 1961, and 1964.
In 1965, a new football league called the Japan Soccer League started. Furukawa Electric joined this new league. Hiraki played 6 games in this league before he stopped playing professionally in 1966.
Playing for the National Team
Ryuzo Hiraki was chosen to play for the Japanese national team in March 1954. He was still a university student at the time. His first game was on March 14, 1954, against South Korea.
Olympics and Asian Games
Hiraki represented Japan in several big international events. He played in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia. He also took part in the 1954, 1958, and 1962 Asian Games.
In 1964, he was chosen to be the captain for Japan at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Sadly, he couldn't play in the games because of an injury. After these Olympics, he retired from playing for the national team. Overall, he played 30 games for Japan and scored 1 goal.
Ryuzo Hiraki's Coaching Journey
Ryuzo Hiraki didn't just play football; he also became a successful coach. In 1962, while still playing for Furukawa Electric, he also started coaching the team. He was a "playing manager," meaning he played and coached at the same time. He coached Furukawa Electric until 1965.
Coaching Japan's National Teams
He also worked as a coach for the main Japanese national team and managed the Japan U-20 national team. A big moment in his coaching career was in 1968. He was a coach for the Japanese team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. The team won a Bronze Medal, which was a huge achievement! Because of this success, that 1968 team was later chosen for the Japan Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Later, in 1992, Hiraki became the manager for Nagoya Grampus Eight, a team that joined the new J.League. He coached them until 1993.
Hall of Fame and Legacy
In 2005, Ryuzo Hiraki himself was honored by being selected for the Japan Football Hall of Fame. This shows how important he was to Japanese football. He passed away on January 2, 2009, at the age of 77, due to pneumonia. He is remembered as a key figure in the history of Japanese football.
See also
In Spanish: Ryuzo Hiraki para niños
