Coach Ishii was fired because of conflict with a veteran?

Thailand surprised everyone by firing coach Masatada Ishii.

The Football Association of Thailand (FA) decided to terminate the contract with coach Masatada Ishii on the afternoon of October 21. According to Thai media, the Japanese strategist was suddenly fired for many reasons.

One is that the "War Elephants"'s performance in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers has not met expectations, despite two important victories against Chinese Taipei to revive their hopes of advancing to the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, the Thai team previously lost to Turkmenistan and struggled to overcome Sri Lanka.

The decision to fire coach Ishii was also made in the context of FAT being dissatisfied with the Japanese coach's squad building strategy, especially the removal of veteran players such as Teerasil Dangda and Theerathon Bunmathan from important matches.

In an effort to rejuvenate the team, Ishii dropped the two experienced players mentioned above but still called up some other players over 30, such as Chanathip or Suphan Thongsong. This decision caused great controversy, with many opinions saying that the Thai team lacked a balance between experience and youth.

Ahead of the October fixtures, Thai football legend Piyapong Pue-on publicly criticized Ishii’s strategy, stressing that not using veteran players was a serious mistake. Many fans and experts on social media also expressed disappointment, although some supported Ishii’s long-term approach, saying that rejuvenating the squad was necessary to prepare for the future.

However, pressure from unsatisfactory results has forced FAT to decide to terminate the contract with coach Ishii. Currently, FAT is urgently looking for a new coach to lead the Thai team in the upcoming journey.

Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-ishii-bi-sa-thai-vi-mau-thuan-voi-cong-than-post1595674.html