Keisuke Honda offers one-year trial to coach Japan's national football team

Japanese football icon Keisuke Honda has made a bold public proposal to the Japan Football Association (JFA), offering to take over as the national team coach for a one-year trial.

Honda's statement on X, formerly Twitter, acknowledged potential controversy but stated his willingness to step in if the JFA is seeking time to find a suitable successor for current coach Hajime Moriyasu. He declared, "If the next candidate is not suitable and you need to buy time, please test me for one year." Honda added that he would accept immediate dismissal if the team fails to perform in the Asian Cup.

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I know there will be pros and cons, but I will say it. I saw the news that they offered Hajime Moriyasu a one-year contract extension. If the next candidate is not suitable and you need to buy time, please test me for one year.

This public bid follows reports that the JFA is considering a one or two-year contract extension for Moriyasu, with some media outlets suggesting a potential extension until the 2027 Asian Cup. Honda expressed his belief that the JFA is constrained by conventional thinking, asserting his ability to succeed with his own unique approach.

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If we lose in the Asian Cup, we can dismiss me without any reason. I will gladly accept that match.

Honda is a revered figure in Japanese football, having earned 98 caps and scored 37 goals for the national team. He was instrumental in Japan's runs to the Round of 16 in the 2010 and 2018 World Cups and was part of the squad that won the 2011 Asian Cup. However, his coaching experience is largely confined to his tenure as head coach of the Cambodian national team since 2018.

The JFA's response to Honda's unconventional challenge is now a subject of keen interest, given his legendary status and self-proclaimed confidence.

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I think the Football Association cannot break free from the framework of common sense, but I can do it in my own way.