Norio Sasaki

Norio Sasaki (Japanese佐 々 木 则 夫, Norio Sasaki, born May 24, 1958 in Yamagata Prefecture ) is a former Japanese football player and current coach of the Japanese women's national team, which he led to win the World Cup 2011.

Club career

Sasaki played in years 1989-1990 at NTT Kanto, the team of the former public telecommunications company Nippon Denwa Denshin (English NTT), in the second Japanese league.

Coaching career

Sasaki was coach of the U -20 Junior National Team in January 2006. In December 2007, he took over the post of coach of the Japanese women's national team. His first tournament was the football - East Asia Championship 2008, Sasaki was a coach at the Olympic Summer Games in 2008, when his team 3rd place match lost against Germany, and the Asian Games 2010. During the World Cup 2011, he led the team to victory in Frankfurt / Main on July 17, 2011. During the Olympic summer Games 2012 in London, he reached with his team the finals again and got back to the U.S., but could win this time 2-1. The silver medal was the first Olympic medal for the Japanese female football players.

Awards

• 2011: FIFA Coach of the Year in women's soccer