The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) has officially announced the termination of the contract with head coach Masatada Ishii after nearly two years of association, ending a controversial period in the journey to rebuild the national team.

According to information from Siam Sport and the Thai national team's Facebook page, the decision was made at a meeting on October 21 at the FAT headquarters with the participation of Technical Vice President Dr. Chanwit Polcheewin, former football star Piyapong Piew-on and General Secretary Ekphol Polnavin.

Masatada Ishii.jpg
Thailand says goodbye to coach Ishii. Photo: Changsuek

The technical council believes that “Mr. Ishii's direction and development plan for the national team are no longer consistent with the new strategy” of the Federation.

Masatada Ishii was appointed in December 2023, after a successful time with Buriram United.

Under his command, the "War Elephants" played a total of 30 matches, winning 16, achieving a winning rate of about 53%.

However, the Thai team has not made significant progress in recent international tournaments, especially in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, where inconsistent performance has forced the FAT to reconsider its long-term orientation.

In the farewell announcement, FAT thanked coach Ishii for his "devotion, professionalism and dedication to Thai football" and wished him success on his next journey.

FAT representatives said they will urgently look for a successor to ensure continuity for the team's preparation plan, ahead of two matches in November - a friendly with Singapore (November 13) and a visit to Sri Lanka (November 18) in the Asian Cup qualifiers.

The farewell between Thailand and Masatada Ishii, although taking place in a peaceful atmosphere, reflects the great pressure the team faces in the transition period.

After Kiatisuk's time, Thai football is still searching for a stable formula between traditional technical identity and the ambition to compete at the continental level.

During this time, Mano Polking was successful with 2 AFF Cup titles, but also did not create a breakthrough. Ishii is the second Japanese coach to fail, after Akira Nishino.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyen-thai-lan-thong-bao-sa-thai-hlv-masatada-ishii-2455014.html