The coach of Japan’s national team Ivica Osim has suffered a stroke, the Japan Football Association (JFA) has confirmed.
The 66-year-old Bosnian suffered the stroke while watching football on television at his home in Chiba, east of Tokyo.
“We’re shocked. More than the state of the Japan national team, we want Osim to recover quickly,” JFA President Saburo Kawabuchi told reporters.
“His condition is unstable and I can’t say anything at this stage about the long-term outlook.”
The Bosnian had shown signs of stress and ill health for a few months especially during last summer’s Asia Cup.
“There is enormous psychological pressure on Osim and it’s beginning to get stressful,” United Arab Emirates coach Bruno Metsu said during the tournament.
