Japanese coach outraged after being suddenly fired by Thai Football Federation

(Dan Tri) - Coach Masatada Ishii has criticized the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) after being suddenly fired.

This afternoon (October 21), the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) officially announced the termination of the contract with the national team head coach Masatada Ishii. This is a rather sudden decision.

FAT suddenly fired coach Masatada Ishii (Photo: FAT).

The Japanese coach said that at around 10am the same day, he received an invitation from FAT to attend a meeting to review the two most recent matches of the Thai team against Chinese Taipei in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, after the meeting ended, he was suddenly informed that "the contract will be terminated today".

According to the 57-year-old strategist, the reason given by FAT is "to change the entire coaching staff at all levels of the national team".

Coach Ishii said he was quite surprised by this decision, so he asked to postpone the discussion to another time and affirmed that he had not signed any documents related to the termination of the contract. He also expressed indignation, saying that FAT was not sincere.

On Instagram, Coach Ishii wrote: “FAT officially announced the termination of my contract just a few hours after the evaluation meeting. I am really sad and confused by that decision. However, I would like to send my sincere thanks to the Thai fans who have always supported me and the team throughout the past time. However, the way FAT acted shows that they lack sincerity.”

Coach Ishii criticized FAT for lacking sincerity (Photo: FAT).

Immediately after the Japanese coach's post, FAT issued a press release explaining that the termination of the contract was the result of a "professional assessment process by the technical department", stating that "Coach Ishii's working orientation is no longer consistent with the long-term development plan of Thai football".

Coach Ishii was appointed to lead the Thai national team from December 2023, replacing coach Mano Polking. In nearly two years in office, he led the "War Elephants" to a total of 30 matches, winning 16, drawing 6 and losing 8, achieving a winning rate of 53%. Under Ishii, Thailand scored 58 goals and conceded 34.

According to the plan, the FAT technical department will soon select a new head coach to ensure continuity in the preparation process for the FIFA Days gathering in November 2025. At this stage, the Thai team is expected to have a friendly match at home against Singapore, before visiting Sri Lanka in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/hlv-nhat-ban-phan-no-khi-bi-ldbd-thai-lan-sa-thai-dot-ngot-20251021195447466.htm