Unlike many of his counterparts, Tetsuya Murayama is not one for the spotlight. Despite his success, he remains a mystery to many Thai League fans, although the keen-eyed among them have been eager to discover how he has so quickly moulded a side of young players to play open, attacking football.
Murayama’s Samut Prakan City started the season surrounding with the wrong kind of publicity. Having moved at the behest of their owners from the beachside resort town of Pattaya, the club effectively started afresh with no tradition, no history, and no idea of how the whole experiment would turn out.
What is seen as a lack of roots by many was taken happily as a blank canvas by Murayama, who was keen to paint a new and unique picture upon it. Having arrived at the club as a Sporting Director, he was tasked with overseeing the club’s entire direction and ensuring cohesion between the first team and the budding youth setup.
However, the Japanese stepped into the hot seat after coach Surapong Kongthep resigned, further galvanizing the team and spearheading what was starting to be seen as a potential outsider’s title challenge. Inviting us to his training complex two days after a difficult 4-1 defeat to defending champions Buriram, Muryama’s side have since been on a decline, but there is no doubt that thanks to his influence, they have outdone what was expected of them by many viewers.
To understand more behind one of the most intriguing yet undiscovered stories of the Thai League, Tetsuya Murayama explained: