Yasuhiko Okudera

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

<templatestyles src="Module:Infobox/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Yasuhiko Okudera
Personal information
Full name Yasuhiko Okudera
Date of birth (1952-03-12) 12 March 1952 (age 73)
Place of birth Kazuno, Akita, Japan
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1977 Furukawa Electric 100 (36)
1977–1980 1. FC Köln 75 (15)
1980–1981 Hertha BSC 25 (8)
1981–1986 Werder Bremen 159 (11)
1986–1988 Furukawa Electric 43 (3)
Total 402 (73)
International career
1972–1987[1] Japan 32 (9)
Managerial career
1996 JEF United Ichihara
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Yasuhiko Okudera (奥寺康彦 Okudera Yasuhiko?, born 12 March 1952) is a Japanese former footballer who is currently the president of J. League Division 2 club Yokohama FC and was formerly the president of English club Plymouth Argyle. Okudera was the first Japanese footballer to play professionally in Europe,[2] as well as being the first Asian football player to score in the European Cup, while playing for 1. FC Köln in the 1979 semi-final match against Nottingham Forest F.C. and made 32 appearances – scoring nine goals – with the Japanese national team.

Playing career

Okudera began his playing career in 1970 as an employee of Furukawa Electric Co Ltd., whose soccer team played in the corporate Japan Soccer League, the top flight league in Japan at the time.[3] In the summer of 1977, during the team's trip to Germany, he was spotted by Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln manager Hennes Weisweiler.[3] 1. FC Köln made a contract offer.[3] Okudera made his debut on 5 October 1977, becoming the first Japanese player to play top flight football in Europe, and Köln won the Bundesliga title that year.[3]

After Weisweiler left Cologne during the 1980–81, Okudera joined second division Hertha BSC. Although Hertha missed promotion to the first division, he joined the newly promoted Werder Bremen, whose coach Otto Rehhagel saw his play when the two sides met and offered a contract. Between 1981–82 and 1985–86, Bremen finished second in the league three times.

In the summer of 1986, Okudera returned to his old Japanese club, Furukuwa Electric and became one of the first recognized professional players in JSL. He ended his German career with 234 appearances and 26 goals. He retired as a player in 1988.

Off the pitch

Okudera's return home spurred the professionalization of the Japanese game, which had been stuck in amateur play for decades. He was the first native-born professional player in his home league, as before only foreigners (usually Brazilians) were paid strictly to play football by the companies.

After the J. League started play in 1993, he served as the president and manager of Furukawa, which had become JEF United Ichihara (now JEF United Ichihara Chiba) with limited success. In 1998, he joined his Köln teammate Pierre Littbarski and helped form Yokohama F.C.. With Okudera as president and Littbarski the manager, Yokohama climbed up the ranks from the lower-tier Japan Football League and promoted to the J. League's first division in December 2006.

On 5 December 2003, Okudera and former South Korean star Cha Bum-Kun were the Asian representatives at the preliminary draw, which determined the groupings for the qualifying matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

On 20 June 2008, Okudera was appointed President of the Football League Championship side Plymouth Argyle tasked with playing a global ambassador role and further strengthening the club's profile in Asia. Since this appointment Argyle have suffered a relegation and serious financial difficulties. Okudera was replaced in his role by former Fans Trust leader Chris Webb, who had played a key part in rescuing Argyle from liquidation.[4]

Career statistics

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Japan League Emperor's Cup League Cup Asia Total
1970 Furukawa Electric JSL Division 1 7 3
1971 9 5
1972 8 0
1973 18 6
1974 18 5
1975 18 9
1976 18 8
1977 4 0
Germany League DFB-Pokal Other Europe Total
1977–78 Köln Bundesliga 20 4 4 2 24 6
1978–79 24 5 3 1 2 1 29 7
1979–80 30 6 8 1 38 7
1980–81 1 0 1 0 1 1 3 1
1980–81 Hertha BSC 2. Bundesliga 25 8 4 0 29 8
1981–82 Werder Bremen Bundesliga 30 2 4 0 34 2
1982–83 34 4 2 0 6 1 42 5
1983–84 29 1 4 0 4 0 37 1
1984–85 33 3 4 0 2 0 39 3
1985–86 33 1 3 0 2 0 38 1
Japan League Emperor's Cup League Cup Asia Total
1986–87 Furukawa Electric JSL Division 1 21 2
1987–88 22 1
Total Japan 143 39
Germany 259 34 37 4 17 3 313 41
Career total 402 73
Japan national team
Year Apps Goals
1972 6 1
1973 0 0
1974 0 0
1975 5 0
1976 8 7
1977 4 0
1978 0 0
1979 0 0
1980 0 0
1981 0 0
1982 0 0
1983 0 0
1984 0 0
1985 0 0
1986 4 0
1987 5 1
Total 32 9

Honors and awards

Team Honors

Awards

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

Cite error: Invalid <references> tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.

Use <references />, or <references group="..." />

External links

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Yasuhiko_Okudera&oldid=720872425"