Japanese coach Shimoda Masahiro was sacked after just three games with Sai Gon FC. Photo Sai Gon FC

Shimoda will be replaced by assistant head coach Phung Thanh Phuong.

“The board of Sai Gon Football Club announced that Masahiro Shimoda is no longer the head coach of the club. Phung Thanh Phuong will replace Shimoda to take on the position. The board would like to thank coach Masahiro Shimoda for the recent dedication and wish him new success in the future,” read the club’s official announcement on Monday (March 29).

The decision was made after a 3-0 defeat to Nam Dinh on Sunday, dropping Sai Gon to 11th place in the V.League 1 table.

While Sai Gon contended for the title last season and finished third, no less than 20 players left the club in the last off-season.

After being appointed to replace Vu Tien Thanh to manage the club in late February, the 54-year-old three straight losses to HCM City FC, Becamex Binh Duong and Nam Dinh.

Shimoda was born in 1967 and speaks fluent English, Portuguese and Spanish. He was the technical director of the Kyoto Purple Sanga FC, then assistant technical director at FC Tokyo from 2001 to 2005.

From 2009 to 2016, he held many important positions at the Japan Football Association (JFA), including technical director for 2014-2016 as well as director of the U23, U19, U16 and the Japan national teams.

During his time, Japanese football achieved big success such as winning the 2011 Asian Cup, the Asian U23 Championship 2016, the Asian U19 Championship 2016 and reaching the Olympic semi-finals in 2012.

New coach Phuong is expected to make his debut in the next match when Sai Gon FC face defending champions Viettel at Hang Day Stadium on April 3.

VNS

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