Heartfelt farewell as "Ishii" makes his latest move after parting ways with both the Thailand national team and BG Pathum United.
On 25 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Masatada Ishii, the former Japanese head coach of the Thailand national team, made his latest move on his personal social media after parting ways with BG Pathum United, a leading club in Thai League 1, earlier this February.
Masatada Ishii posted a photo of his passport along with the message, "Today, I have returned to Japan." This marks his official farewell to Thailand after working in Thai football for more than six years, prompting many Thai football fans to comment with thanks for everything during his time here.
Masatada Ishii began his career in Thailand with Samut Prakan City in December 2019, immediately leading the team to a 6th place finish in Thai League 1 in his first year, before moving on to manage Buriram United in 2021.
Ishii made history with Buriram United by winning three trophies in Thailand for two consecutive seasons: the Thai League 1, the Chang FA Cup, and the League Cup, before taking over as head coach of the Thailand national team in 2023.
A key achievement for Masatada Ishii with the "War Elephants" (Thailand national team) was winning the 2024 King's Cup, ending a seven-year trophy drought, and securing a 1-1 draw away against South Korea in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Later, Ishii unexpectedly parted ways with the Thailand national team on 21 Oct 2025 before moving to coach BG Pathum United. However, after being eliminated from three cup competitions—the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL 2), the Chang FA Cup, and the ASEAN Club Championship (Shopee Cup)—he found himself without a job earlier this month.
*Photo credit: masatada_ishii
