Masashi Watanabe

was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team. He also managed Japan national team.

Biography
Watanabe was born in Hiroshima on January 11, 1936. After graduating from Sotoku High School, he joined Yawata Steel (later Nippon Steel) in 1954. In 1958, he left Yawata Steel and entered Rikkyo University. After graduating from Rikkyo University, he joined Yawata Steel again in 1962. In 1965, Yawata Steel joined new league Japan Soccer League. He retired in 1971. He played 79 games and scored 19 goals in the league. He was selected Best Eleven in 1968.

On December 25, 1958, when Watanabe was a Rikkyo University student, he debuted for the Japan national team against Hong Kong. He played at 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. At 1968 Summer Olympics, he played 5 games and scored 2 goals against Brazil and France. Japan also won Bronze Medal. In 2018, this team was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame. He also played at 1962 and 1966 Asian Games. He played 39 games and scored 19 goals for Japan until 1969.

In 1969, when Watanabe played for Yawata Steel (later Nippon Steel), he became a playing manager. He managed the club until 1975. In 1979, he became an assistant coach for Japan national team under manager Yukio Shimomura. At 1980 Summer Olympics qualifying in April 1980, following Japan's failure to qualify for 1980 Summer Olympics, Shimomura resigned a manager. In May, Watanabe was promoted to manager as Shimomura successor. However, just before 1982 World Cup qualification in December, he suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage and replaced to Saburo Kawabuchi.

On December 7, 1995, Watanabe died of heart failure in Chiba at the age of 59. In 2006, he was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame.

Statistics
Japan National Football Team Database

|-
|1958||2||1
|-
|1959||8||4
|-
|1960||1||0
|-
|1961||6||1
|-
|1962||3||0
|-
|1963||5||3
|-
|1964||1||0
|-
|1965||3||0
|-
|1966||2||1
|-
|1967||3||1
|-
|1968||2||0
|-
|1969||3||1
|-
!Total||39||12
|}

References

Other websites

 Japan Football Hall of Fame at Japan Football Association
Japan Football Hall of Fame (Japan team at 1968 Olympics) at Japan Football Association

Category:1936 births
Category:1995 deaths
Category:Footballers from Hiroshima Prefecture
Category:Japan international footballers
Category:Japanese football managers
Category:Japan Soccer League players
Category:Nippon Steel Yawata SC players
Category:Japan national football team managers
Category:Footballers at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Category:Footballers at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic medalists in football
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Japan
Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics