Yasuhiko Okudera

Yasuhiko Okudera

Personal information
Full name	Yasuhiko Okudera
Date of birth	(1952-03-12) 12 March 1952
Place of birth	Kazuno, Akita, Japan
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1970–1977	Furukawa Electric	100	(36)
1977–1980	1. FC Köln	75	(15)
1980–1981	Hertha BSC	25	(8)
1981–1986	Werder Bremen	159	(11)
1986–1988	Furukawa Electric	43	(3)
Total		402	(73)
International career
1972–1987	Japan	32	(9)
Managerial career
1996	JEF United Ichihara
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Yasuhiko Okudera (奥寺康彦, Okudera Yasuhiko, born 12 March 1952) is a Japanese former footballer who is currently the president of J. League Division 2 club Yokohama FC and was formerly the president of English club Plymouth Argyle. Okudera was the first Japanese footballer to play professionally in Europe, as well as being the first Asian football player to score in the European Cup, while playing for 1. FC Köln in the 1979 semi-final match against Nottingham Forest F.C. and made 32 appearances – scoring nine goals – with the Japanese national team.

Playing career

Okudera began his playing career in 1970 as an employee of Furukawa Electric Co Ltd., whose soccer team played in the corporate Japan Soccer League, the top flight league in Japan at the time. In the summer of 1977, during the team's trip to Germany, he was spotted by Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln manager Hennes Weisweiler. 1. FC Köln made a contract offer. Okudera made his debut on 5 October 1977, becoming the first Japanese player to play top flight football in Europe, and Köln won the Bundesliga title that year.

After Weisweiler left Cologne during the 1980–81, Okudera joined second division Hertha BSC. Although Hertha missed promotion to the first division, he joined the newly promoted Werder Bremen, whose coach Otto Rehhagel saw his play when the two sides met and offered a contract. Between 1981–82 and 1985–86, Bremen finished second in the league three times.

In the summer of 1986, Okudera returned to his old Japanese club, Furukuwa Electric and became one of the first recognized professional players in JSL. He ended his German career with 234 appearances and 26 goals. He retired as a player in 1988.

Off the pitch

Okudera's return home spurred the professionalization of the Japanese game, which had been stuck in amateur play for decades. He was the first native-born professional player in his home league, as before only foreigners (usually Brazilians) were paid strictly to play football by the companies.

After the J. League started play in 1993, he served as the president and manager of Furukawa, which had become JEF United Ichihara (now JEF United Ichihara Chiba) with limited success. In 1998, he joined his Köln teammate Pierre Littbarski and helped form Yokohama F.C.. With Okudera as president and Littbarski the manager, Yokohama climbed up the ranks from the lower-tier Japan Football League and promoted to the J. League's first division in December 2006.

On 5 December 2003, Okudera and former South Korean star Cha Bum-Kun were the Asian representatives at the preliminary draw, which determined the groupings for the qualifying matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

On 20 June 2008, Okudera was appointed President of the Football League Championship side Plymouth Argyle tasked with playing a global ambassador role and further strengthening the club's profile in Asia. Since this appointment Argyle have suffered a relegation and serious financial difficulties. Okudera was replaced in his role by former Fans Trust leader Chris Webb, who had played a key part in rescuing Argyle from liquidation.

Career statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		League Cup		Asia		Total
1970	Furukawa Electric	JSL Division 1	7	3
1971			9	5
1972			8	0
1973			18	6
1974			18	5
1975			18	9
1976			18	8
1977			4	0
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Other		Europe		Total
1977–78	Köln	Bundesliga	20	4	4	2					24	6
1978–79			24	5	3	1			2	1	29	7
1979–80			30	6	8	1					38	7
1980–81			1	0	1	0			1	1	3	1
1980–81	Hertha BSC	2. Bundesliga	25	8	4	0					29	8
1981–82	Werder Bremen	Bundesliga	30	2	4	0					34	2
1982–83			34	4	2	0			6	1	42	5
1983–84			29	1	4	0			4	0	37	1
1984–85			33	3	4	0			2	0	39	3
1985–86			33	1	3	0			2	0	38	1
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		League Cup		Asia		Total
1986–87	Furukawa Electric	JSL Division 1	21	2
1987–88			22	1
Total	Japan		143	39
	Germany		259	34	37	4			17	3	313	41
Career total			402	73

Japan national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1972	6	1
1973	0	0
1974	0	0
1975	5	0
1976	8	7
1977	4	0
1978	0	0
1979	0	0
1980	0	0
1981	0	0
1982	0	0
1983	0	0
1984	0	0
1985	0	0
1986	4	0
1987	5	1
Total	32	9

Honors and awards

Team Honors

• Japan Soccer League Champions: 1976, 1985–86
• Emperor's Cup Champions: 1976
• Japanese Super Cup Champions: 1977
• Bundesliga Champions: 1977–78
• Bundesliga Runners-up: 1982–83, 1984–85, 1985–86
• DFB-Pokal Champions: 1977–78
• DFB-Pokal Runners-up: 1979–80
• European Cup Semi-finals: 1978–79
• Asian Club Championship Champions: 1986–87
• Pestabola Merdeka runners-ups: 1976

Awards

• Japan Soccer League Best Eleven: 1976, 1986–87
• Asian Football Hall of Fame: 2014

External links

• Yasuhiko Okudera profile at Fussballdaten