Football Tribe SEA Editor
Thai League 1 side Samut Prakan City have officially appointed former Kashima Antlers and Omiya Ardija boss Masatada Ishii as their new head coach.
Ishii arrives in Thailand with a stellar record in Japan. A member of the Kashima coaching staff for over a decade after the end of his playing career, he stepped into the hot seat during the 2015 season and became the first Japanese full-time coach at the club in 21 years.
In his first full season at the club, Ishii led the Antlers to win the J.League title, picking up the league’s manager of the year award in the process. However, he couldn’t repeat the feat in 2017 and was dismissed midway through the season.
His next stint saw him fail to save Omiya Ardija from relegation later that same season, and couldn’t return them to the top flight in 2018.
The Japanese boss replaces his countryman Tetsuya Murayama, who took charge of Samut Prakan for the latter half of last season after the resignation of coach Surapong Kongthep. He will lead the club into their second season since their relocation and rebranding from Pattaya United before the start of the 2019 season.
After a strong start last season saw the Sea Fang emerge as unexpected contenders for Champions League places, their form stalled and they ultimately settled for a respectable 6th place finish. This appointment shows ambition to build on their work last season and continue to challenge the league’s more established sides.