Masashi Watanabe

Masashi Watanabe
Personal information
Full name	Masashi Watanabe
Date of birth	January 11, 1936
Place of birth	Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
Date of death	December 7, 1995 (aged 59)
Place of death	Chiba, Chiba, Japan
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1951	Sotoku High School
1951–1953	Hiroshima Motomachi High School
1958–1961	Rikkyo University
Senior career*
Years	Team
1954–1958	Yawata Steel
1962–1971	Nippon Steel
Total
National team
1958–1969	Japan
Teams managed
1969–1975	Nippon Steel
1980	Japan
Honours
Nippon Steel
Representing Japan
Olympic Games
Asian Games
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Masashi Watanabe (渡辺正, Watanabe Masashi, January 11, 1936 – December 7, 1995) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team. He also managed Japan national team.

Biography[change | change source]

Watanabe was born in Hiroshima on January 11, 1936. After graduating from Sotoku High School, he joined Yawata Steel (later Nippon Steel) in 1954. In 1958, he left Yawata Steel and entered Rikkyo University. After graduating from Rikkyo University, he joined Yawata Steel again in 1962. In 1965, Yawata Steel joined new league Japan Soccer League. He retired in 1971. He played 79 games and scored 19 goals in the league. He was selected Best Eleven in 1968.

On December 25, 1958, when Watanabe was a Rikkyo University student, he debuted for the Japan national team against Hong Kong. He played at 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. At 1968 Summer Olympics, he played 5 games and scored 2 goals against Brazil and France. Japan also won Bronze Medal. In 2018, this team was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame. He also played at 1962 and 1966 Asian Games. He played 39 games and scored 19 goals for Japan until 1969.

In 1969, when Watanabe played for Yawata Steel (later Nippon Steel), he became a playing manager. He managed the club until 1975. In 1979, he became an assistant coach for Japan national team under manager Yukio Shimomura. At 1980 Summer Olympics qualifying in April 1980, following Japan's failure to qualify for 1980 Summer Olympics, Shimomura resigned a manager. In May, Watanabe was promoted to manager as Shimomura successor. However, just before 1982 World Cup qualification in December, he suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage and replaced to Saburo Kawabuchi.

On December 7, 1995, Watanabe died of heart failure in Chiba at the age of 59. In 2006, he was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame.