Former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou wins J-League title
Former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has set a new benchmark for Australian coaches by winning the Japanese title.
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Ange Postecoglou has etched himself into Australian football and sports folklore, by clinching a league title in Asia’s No.1 domestic league.
Yokohama F. Marinos won the J1 League crown in style, sticking true to their possession-based, ultra-attacking style by beating second-place FC Tokyo 3-0.
The visitors needed a four-goal win to snatch the title from F. Marinos, but buoyed by a 65,000 home crowd at Nissan Stadium they were two goals up at half-time and kept pushing, scoring the third after their keeper Il-Gyu Park was sent off for a foul way out of his penalty area.
Postecoglou, 54, is the first Australian to win a men’s domestic title abroad, winning it in the coveted Japanese top tier.
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“Thank you, we’re champions. It’s a special day and I want to celebrate,” Postecoglou said after the win.
“We were the best team, we won that’s why we were the champions.
“We played fantastic football all year, the players deserve this. Very proud of the players and staff.”
While Postecoglou has just signed a contract extension with F.Marinos, the manner of his success will likely attract interest from a host of European suitors, which has proved a tough market to crack for Australian coaches.
But Postecoglou’s immediate focus will shift to continental glory, with Yokohoma’s title securing an Asian Champions League spot, which kicks off in February.
The J1 League’s coaching honour roll includes Arsenal great Arsene Wenger, World Cup winner Luiz Felipe Scolari, ex Real Madrid and Colombia coach Carlos Queiroz and ex Barcelona boss Carles Rexach.
Wenger, Scolari and Queiroz’s stints occurred early in their coaching tenure and Japan was a forerunner to their greatest respective successes, underlining how highly the J1 League is rated overseas, especially Europe.
The Australian influence is profound at F. Marinos, who are 20 per cent owned by Melbourne City’s owners City Football Group, who were integral in his appointment.
Postecoglou’s coach staff includes former Socceroos assistant Peter Cklamovski, ex Oakleigh and Green Gully coach Arthus Papas and conditioning coach Greg King.
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Cklamovski, who’s likely to attract interest off the back of F. Marinos’ success, lavished praise on his mentor.
“He’s a living legend. He’s the best there was, the best there is, the best that ever will be. Great coach, super leader, even better man,” Cklamovski told Optus Sport.
Yokohama’s success follows his trend of winning the title in his second season at every club he has coached – South Melbourne (1998), Brisbane Roar (2010) and now F. Marinos.
While he qualified the Socceroos for the World Cup, won the 2015 Asian Cup Roar and transcended the A-League with his Roar double, the F. Marinos title is his perhaps his greatest feat.
david.davutovic@news.com.au