Exclusive first report! Revealing why BG Pathum dismissed Masatada Ishii and what was the final straw that made waiting impossible.
After BG Pathum United fired Masatada Ishii as head coach following the team's elimination from three tournaments—the ACL twice, the FA Cup, and the Shopee Cup—they most recently drew 1-1 away against Selangor, ending their chances of winning any of these three competitions, leaving only the Thai League and League Cup.
Masatada Ishii's record managing BG Pathum United totals 20 matches with 10 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses.
Recently, Jay Worapat explained on Thairath Sport the reasons for BG's dismissal of Ishii and why they could no longer wait, stating, "The final straw was elimination by Selangor, but the core issue was performance— Ishii failed to meet the set targets."
"Okay, the ACL twice was tough to overturn; if you did, it would be credit to you. When you failed, the club didn't blame you. But elimination from the FA Cup by Prachuap was unacceptable, and then another early exit from the Shopee Cup, despite expectations to top the group."
"Fans want results; some said the draw with Selangor was acceptable, others disagreed. The club gave him chances; otherwise, no young players would have been promoted. But when results falter, it's like my previous comments on the national team—if you hope for the future but the present is poor, the future can't progress. This situation has repeated."
ACL quota: The club set targets and evaluated performance. It wasn't that they fired him just for drawing with Selangor once, but mainly because there was a high risk of missing the ACL quota.
Impact on club revenue: Eliminations from the Shopee Cup and FA Cup caused loss of income; advancing in the Shopee Cup would have brought an additional 4 million baht. Missing the ACL would cause significant financial damage.
BG focuses mainly on business operations. Under former president Pawin, budgets were fixed, but now budgets are assessed based on club performance. Therefore, cup eliminations have caused substantial revenue loss for the club.
Necessity of change: Changing coaches carries risk, but not changing is also risky. Not changing means leaving the team to "chance" without tactical adjustments. A coaching change is one tool to motivate the team back toward its target, especially since the goal is Top 3, not just league survival.
In summary, the change was not because anyone was "incompetent," but a decision based on risk, revenue, and the club's long-term goals.