Nelsinho Baptista, recognized as the Brazilian coach who spent the most time in Japanese football/soccer, is back in the Land of the Rising Sun. According to Estadão, the coach signed a contract with KashiwaReysol, a club where he has spent many seasons. The team is in crisis and hopes that Nelsinho can avoid relegation to the second division, with just two games to go until the end of the championship.
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The long sporting relationship between Japan and Brazil
Japan is already 150 years after the Meiji revolution, if you want to consider as a single historical period the period since, in 1868, the Japanese people decided that Western civilization was superior to their own (at least in technical, material and organizational terms). ) and advanced, first to imitation, and then to direct competition with Europeans and Americans.
Throughout the 20th century, the Japanese incorporated several traditions from the West, with more enthusiasm than other countries in Far Asia. football/soccer was undoubtedly one of them.
Everyone will remember the animation series Captain Tsubasa, which was decisive in the upbringing of an entire generation of Japanese youth fascinated by the sport loved in Brazil and around the world. And not only the Japanese; recently, it was news that the great Iniesta declared he loved watching the series as a child. Captain Tsubasa portrayed Brazil as the worldwide center of football, where every Brazilian player would love to play one day, to face the best.
Currently, with the growth of the sports betting phenomenon, it is expected that the Japanese may be allowed to gamble legally. Despite the enthusiasm, only a traditional form of betting on football games is allowed; the Japanese cannot bet online (unlike Brazilians, who can access sites like apostasbrazil.com.br and find betting platforms based in foreign countries and, therefore, freely accessed), but it is hoped that they will be able to do so in the future.
Examples of great sports collaboration from Brazil to Japan
Everyone remembers the case of Zico, who ended his football/soccer career with Sumitomo Metals, who later became Kashima Antlers. Later, he also coached the Kashima Antlers and then became Japan's coach, having achieved considerable success.
As for Nelsinho Baptista himself, he has been in Japan for 14 seasons, in clubs such as the aforementioned KashiwaReysol, Verdy Kawazaki or Nagoya Grampus Eight. It won the championship in 1994, 1995 and 2011, as well as several domestic cups, and even led Kashiwa Reysol to fourth place in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2011.
Another special case is that of Ayrton Senna, who used Honda engines in six Formula 1 seasons, between 1987 and 1992. The three-time champion established a very close relationship not only with the Honda people (including its founder, Soichiro, who died in 1991 ) but with the Japanese public itself, which always won him during his passages through the Suzuka circuit.
