Japanese coaching legend Hasebe aims for a coaching career in Europe

Makoto Hasebe said on Friday he wants to become the first Japanese to coach in one of Europe's top leagues after the former national team captain ended his playing career at the age of 40.

Hasebe ended his playing career after 17 seasons in the German Bundesliga when he came on as a substitute in Eintracht Frankfurt's final game of the season last weekend.

It was his 384th game in the top German league. This puts him on a par with Poland's Robert Lewandowski and the foreign player who has played the most Bundesliga games behind Peruvian Claudio Pizarro.

Hasebe, a defender who captained Japan at three World Cups and won 114 international caps, will stay in Frankfurt to work as a coach at youth level.

He told reporters in Tokyo that he plans to obtain his coaching qualification before taking on a senior role at the club.

“My main task will be to coach the second U21 team and monitor all the different categories,” he said.

“My ultimate goal is to become coach of the first team (of Frankfurt).”

Never before has a Japanese coach been in charge of a team in one of Europe's top leagues.

Hasebe was the oldest player in the Bundesliga this season and is more than four years older than Werder Bremen coach Ole Werner.

He said he “doesn't pay much attention to age” and revealed that Bundesliga coaches had invited him to their clubs to see their methods.

“I am at the beginning of my coaching career and would like to gain experience first,” said Hasebe, who mentioned Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen as a coach he admires.

“I don't know if I will be in Japan or Germany in the future, but I want to be someone who trains at a high level.”

Hasebe won the Japanese J. League and the Asian Champions League with Urawa Reds before moving to Wolfsburg in 2008 and winning the Bundesliga in his first season in Germany.

After a short time in Nuremberg, he moved to Frankfurt in 2014 and won both the DFB Cup and the Europa League.

Hasebe won the 2011 Asian Cup with Japan.

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