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Friday November 16, 4:31 PMJapan's football coach Osim has stroke
"His situation is very unstable and at this stage it is not appropriate to give prospects for the long-run," said Saburo Kawaguchi, president of the Japan Football Association. "I hope he survives." Kawaguchi, who fought back tears as he announced the news, said Osim collapsed overnight in suburban Tokyo and was rushed to a hospital where he is an intensive care unit. Osim, 66, is a former striker for Strasbourg who has suffered heart problems and high blood pressure in recent years. He took over as Japan's coach last year from Zico, a Brazilian legend who led Japan to a winless performance at the World Cup. Osim last coached Japan in an October 17 match in Osaka, in which the team cruised to a 4-1 victory over Egypt. Under Osim, Japan advanced to the semi-finals in the Asian Cup but failed to take their third straight title, which went to dark horse Iraq. Famously gruff and dour, Osim had predicted before the Asian Cup that Japan had no chances of winning. Osim himself joked about his health during a make-or-break Asian Cup faceoff in which Japan beat Australia on a penalty shootout. He retreated to the changing room after extra-time and refused to watch Japan win 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 tie in the quarter-final match in Hanoi. "I didn't see it because it was bad for my heart," Osim said at the time. "I don't want to die while I coach Japan's national team," he said. "I want to die in my home town, Sarajevo." |
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