Masataka Imai

1.1. Birth and Background

Imai was born on April 2, 1959, in Shizuoka, Japan, specifically in what was then Shimizu City (now Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka City). He began playing as a goalkeeper in his second year of junior high school. During his time at Shizuoka Prefectural Auto Industry High School, he achieved significant success, including winning the National Sports Festival and leading his team as captain to the best eight in the Inter-High School Championship.
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1.2. Education

He attended Shizuoka Prefectural Auto Industry High School, which is now known as Shizuoka Kita High School. Following his high school education, Imai continued his academic and football journey at Kokushikan University.

2.1. Club Career

After graduating from Kokushikan University, Imai joined Honda FC (then known as Honda Giken Kogyo Football Club) in 1982. He played for the club for seven years until his retirement in 1990. During his tenure at Honda FC, he made 115 appearances in the Japan Soccer League (JSL) First Division.

His club statistics in the JSL First Division are as follows:

2.2. Futsal Career

In addition to his football career, Imai also represented Japan in futsal. In 1989, he was selected for the Japan national futsal team and participated in the 1989 FIFA Futsal World Championship held in the Netherlands. He made three appearances for the national futsal team, scoring no goals.

3.1. Coaching Career Overview

Imai began his coaching career in 1989 as a playing manager for Honda FC. After his tenure as manager at Honda, he spent two years working as an employee for Honda Giken while simultaneously serving as a National Training Center Coach for the Japan Football Association (JFA). He later became a pioneering figure in Japanese football coaching by becoming the first Japanese individual to manage an overseas national football team.

3.2. Club Coaching

Imai's club coaching career spans several prominent Japanese teams:

• Honda FC:** From 1989 to 1992, he served as the manager of his former club, Honda FC. During his managerial tenure, Honda FC achieved a 3rd-place finish in the 1990-91 JSL First Division season and reached the final of the JSL Cup in 1991. The team also finished as runner-up in the Konica Cup in 1991.
• Nagoya Grampus Eight:** Between 1995 and 1999, Imai was part of the coaching staff at Nagoya Grampus Eight. He managed the satellite team in the J.League Satellite League from 1995 to 1997. In 1997, he was promoted to assistant coach for the top team, working under managers such as Arsène Wenger. He continued as a top team coach from 1998 to 1999.
• Avispa Fukuoka:** In 2002, Imai was appointed manager of Avispa Fukuoka, who had been relegated to the J2 League. The club's objective was immediate promotion back to J1. However, the team, composed of many veteran players, struggled with fatigue in the latter halves of matches, and Imai's tactics frequently changed. Although they maintained a third-place position in the first round of the season, their performance declined in the second round. After a series of heavy defeats, including a 3-5 loss to Cerezo Osaka despite leading 3-0 at halftime, and a 0-5 defeat to Mito HollyHock, Imai resigned on July 24, 2002. At the time of his resignation after the 21st matchday, Avispa Fukuoka was in 6th place.
• Júbilo Iwata:** From 2005 to 2006, Imai worked at Júbilo Iwata, serving as a top team coach in 2005 and managing the satellite team in 2006.
• Tokushima Vortis:** He took over as manager of Tokushima Vortis in 2007. The team finished last in the J2 League (13th place) that season, and Imai was dismissed at the end of the year.
• Montedio Yamagata Youth:** From 2010 to 2019, Imai managed the Montedio Yamagata Youth (U-18) team. In 2014, he guided the youth team to their first-ever appearance in the Emperor's Cup (the 94th edition of the tournament).
• Azul Claro Numazu:** On December 21, 2019, Imai was appointed manager of Azul Claro Numazu. He managed the J3 League club until August 23, 2022, when he was dismissed from his position.
• FC Kariya:** In 2023, Imai became the manager of FC Kariya.

3.3. National Team Coaching

Imai also contributed to national football teams, particularly through the Asian Football Confederation's "Assistance Program for Developing Nations," where he was dispatched by the JFA.

• Macau National Team:** In 2000, he served as a coach for the Macau national football team. He later returned to manage the team from 2003 to 2004.

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• Philippines National Team:** In 2001, Imai took on the role of manager for the Philippines national football team. This appointment marked him as the first Japanese individual to serve as a national team manager overseas.

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3.4. Managerial Records

The following table summarizes Masataka Imai's managerial statistics for the clubs where detailed records are available:

• Note: For Avispa Fukuoka in 2002, Imai resigned after the 21st matchday, when the team was in 6th position.