Humiliation after losing to Brazil: Will Japan's Moriyasu eventually be cast aside? "One-year contract renewal expected"

*This content was translated by AI.

Hajime Moriyasu (58), the head coach who led the Japan national football team to advance from the group stage at the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, is reported to have been offered a contract extension of only one year by the Japan Football Association. Although he has led the Japanese national team for eight years and guided them to consecutive World Cup group stage advancements, the offer effectively means he should step down after leading the team only until the AFC Asian Cup in January next year.

Japanese media outlets, including Sports Nippon and the Asahi Shimbun, reported on the 2nd that the Japan Football Association is pushing for a contract extension with Coach Moriyasu, but the proposed contract term is expected to be a short-term one-year deal. It is also known that the Japan Football Association has already made a preliminary offer to Coach Moriyasu's side. It is highly likely that formal negotiation tables will be set up after Coach Moriyasu returns to Japan.

Considering that there were earlier forecasts that he would continue for another four years until the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, maintaining a long-term leadership system spanning a full 12 years, the rumor of a one-year contract offer stands out even more. Just at the end of last month, when Japan's advancement to the Round of 32 was confirmed, local media outlets predicted that the Japan Football Association would focus on a four-year contract renewal for Coach Moriyasu. Chunichi Sports highlighted, "The Japan Football Association highly evaluates Coach Moriyasu's leadership. If both sides agree, Coach Moriyasu would establish a long-term leadership system lasting up to 12 years, becoming the first in Japanese football history to lead the team to three consecutive World Cup group stage advancements."

However, the mood began to shift after Japan was eliminated in the Round of 32. Since the tournament was initially aimed at winning the championship, the early exit was a setback for the Japan Football Association. Nevertheless, the Round of 32 opponent Japan could not overcome was Brazil, the "eternal favorite." Despite being objectively at a disadvantage in terms of team strength, Japan scored the first goal but conceded a late comeback winning goal, suffering a heartbreaking defeat. Yet, even though the opponent was Brazil, the mood surrounding Coach Moriyasu has changed significantly simply because Japan was eliminated in the Round of 32.

Coach Moriyasu has been leading Japanese football for eight years since taking office in 2018. During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, he defeated Spain and Germany in the group stage, and ahead of this World Cup, he defeated Brazil and England. This is also why he was regarded as a strong dark horse from before the tournament, yet for now, it is highly likely that the Japan Football Association will only offer him a short-term contract.

The Japan Football Association is pursuing a short-term contract rather than a complete split in order to win the Asian Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia next January. Japan has failed to win the Asian Cup for three consecutive tournaments since its 2011 championship, so there is a strong desire to win the Asian Cup again. With only half a year remaining, the current squad is expected to remain the core, and there is an expectation that if Coach Moriyasu leads the team for one more year, the chances of winning will be greater.

Although specific negotiations are necessary, it remains unclear whether the term will be guaranteed until the 2030 World Cup if the goal of winning the Asian Cup is achieved. For Coach Moriyasu, who has already demonstrated his leadership on two World Cup stages and over an eight-year journey, a "conditional contract renewal" would inevitably be a blow to his pride.

The situation where Ko Oiwai (54), head coach of the Japan U21 national team, is already being strongly mentioned as the likely successor to lead the A national team is also bound to be uncomfortable for Coach Moriyasu. Coach Oiwai is currently preparing for this year's Asian Games and next year's LA Olympic qualifiers, and locals see this as merely a matter of timing, predicting that Coach Oiwai will eventually lead both the A national team and the U21 national team.

Sports Nippon added, "First, the Japan Football Association plans to sign a one-year contract with Coach Moriyasu, and after that, hand over the A national team leadership to Coach Oiwai, who leads the U21 national team. They are considering a plan where Coach Oiwai focuses only on Olympic qualifiers until next year, and takes over as A national team coach starting in 2028. Since Coach Oiwai has previously led the 2024 Paris Olympic representative team, there is also the advantage of being able to naturally continue the generational transition."

Coincidentally, Coach Moriyasu himself previously led the Japan U23 national team before concurrently serving as the A national team coach, and later focused solely on the A national team coaching position instead of concurrently leading the U23 team. He followed the exact same path as the Japan Football Association's current plan to hand over the A national team leadership to Coach Oiwai. Sports Nippon noted, "For now, it has not been decided whether Coach Moriyasu will accept the contract renewal offer. If he does not accept the renewal offer and decides to part ways, the Japan Football Association is highly likely to immediately hand over the A national team leadership to Coach Oiwai."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.