1. Norio Sasaki is a Japanese football coach and former player who is currently the general manager of Omiya Ardija Ventus and interim manager for Japan national women's team.
10 Facts About Norio Sasaki
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Norio Sasaki is best known for leading the Japanese women's national team to their first and only FIFA Women's World Cup win in 2011 over the United States on penalty shootouts.
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Norio Sasaki retired as head coach in March 2016 after eight years.
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Norio Sasaki studied at and played for Teikyo High School and Meiji University.
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Norio Sasaki contributed to the club's promotion to Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1986.
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Norio Sasaki served as the head coach of Japan Football League side Omiya Ardija in 1998, then took various other positions at Omiya, including the youth team head-coach and the head of development.
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In 2006, Norio Sasaki became the assistant coach of Japan women's national football team, as well as the head coach of its U-20 team.
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Norio Sasaki led the Japan Women to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
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On 9 January 2012, Norio Sasaki was awarded the Women's Best Coach Award in the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or.
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At 2016 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, following Japan's failure to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, Norio Sasaki stepped down as head coach of the team.