Toshiaki Imai

{{Infobox football biography

|name=Toshiaki Imai
今井敏明

|image=

|image_size=

|caption=

|fullname=

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1954|12|29|df=yes}}

|birth_place=Saitama, Japan

|height=

|position=

|currentclub=

|youthyears1=1970–1972|youthclubs1=Urawa Nishi High School

|youthyears2=1973–1976|youthclubs2=Waseda University

|years1=1977–1981|clubs1=Fujitsu|caps1=|goals1=

|totalcaps=|totalgoals=

|nationalyears1=|nationalteam1=|nationalcaps1=|nationalgoals1=

|manageryears1=1993–1994|managerclubs1=Tokyo Gas

|manageryears2=1996|managerclubs2=Shiroki FC Serena

|manageryears3=2000|managerclubs3=Kawasaki Frontale

|manageryears4=2005–2007|managerclubs4=Chinese Taipei

|manageryears5=2007|managerclubs5=Taiwan Women

|manageryears6=2011–2012|managerclubs6=FC Ganju Iwate

|manageryears7=2016|managerclubs7=Taiwan

|manageryears8=2016|managerclubs8=Mongolia

|manageryears9=2017|managerclubs9=Global Cebu

|manageryears10=2020|managerclubs10=Taichung Futuro

|medaltemplates=

}}

{{Nihongo|Toshiaki Imai|今井敏明|Imai Toshiaki|born 29 December 1954}} is a Japanese football manager and former player.

Early life

Imai was born in Saitama Prefecture on December 29, 1954. He is a graduate of Waseda University.

Playing career

Imai played for Fujitsu (later Kawasaki Frontale) from 1977 to 1981.

Coaching career

After retirement, Imai became a manager for Tokyo Gas in 1993. He managed Shiroki FC Serena (1996), Kawasaki Frontale (2000).

In November 2005, Imai was appointed by Japan Football Association to coach Chinese Taipei national team and to help the football development in Taiwan. It was his first international assignment. He accepted the challenge and signed a one-year contract with Chinese Taipei Football Association in December. Under his guidance, although the team did not have any amazing performance in international competitions, it was believed{{by whom|date=June 2018}} that Imai did bring good influence on the team, as well as football activities in Taiwan.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

On 15 December 2006, Imai extended his contract with CTFA.

{{cite news

|script-title = zh:今井敏明續約明年初先帶女足衝奧運

|url = http://www.ctfa.com.tw/news.asp?category=A&news_id=618

|publisher = Chinese Taipei Football Association

|date = 15 December 2006

|language = Chinese

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070107004032/http://www.ctfa.com.tw/news.asp?category=A&news_id=618

|archivedate = 7 January 2007

}}

In addition to men's national team, he also led Chinese Taipei women's national team in the 2008 Olympic Games qualification in February 2007.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} In 2008, he returned to Japan and became the manager of Waseda University.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

In 2016, Imai became manager of Chinese Taipei again, but was fired in October of that year after complaints of team disunity.{{Cite web|url=http://sports.ltn.com.tw/news/paper/1041149|title = 台灣男足剛晉級足協炒掉日教頭 - 自由體育|date = 13 October 2016}} By January 2017, he was already mentoring Global Cebu which is set to participate at the Philippines Football League as its head coach.{{cite news|last1=Guerrero|first1=Bob|title=Global FC aims for the big leagues of Asia|url=http://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/football/158984-global-aims-big-leagues-asia|accessdate=20 January 2017|work=Rappler|date=20 January 2017}}

In 2020, Imai briefly coached Taiwan Football Premier League team Taichung Futuro.{{cite web |last1=Ko |first1=Brandon |title=那些年，我們一起看的臺灣男足外籍教練[近5年] |url=https://www.sportsv.net/articles/76032 |website=SPORTS VISION |accessdate=14 September 2020 |language=Chinese |date=28 July 2020}}

Managerial statistics

[https://data.j-league.or.jp/SFIX07/?staff_id=1556 J.League Data Site]{{in lang|ja}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" !rowspan="2"\|Team !rowspan="2"\|From !rowspan="2"\|To !colspan="5"\|Record
G	W	D	L	Win %
align="left"\|Kawasaki Frontale \|align="left"\|2000 \|align="left"\|2000 {{WDL\|15\|3\|3\|9}}
colspan="3"\|Total {{WDLtot\|15\|3\|3\|9}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

!rowspan="2"|Team

!rowspan="2"|From

!rowspan="2"|To

!colspan="5"|Record

Win %

align="left"|Kawasaki Frontale

|align="left"|2000

colspan="3"|Total