1990 FIFA World Cup winner Guido Buchwald joined Urawa Reds in 1994 and played in J.League for four seasons. The German defender was selected in the league’s Team of the Year for two years in a row in 1995 and 1996.
After retirement as a player, Urawa appointed him as technical advisor in 2002 and then as manager from 2004. Buchwald led the team to immediate success and won the Second Stage in his first year on the bench, although Urawa failed to become the league champions when they lost to Yokohama F.Marinos in the Championship final.
However, under the German manager, Urawa Reds soon developed into a powerhouse. After finishing second in the league and winning the Emperor’s Cup in 2005, their largest success came in 2006. Buchwald built a solid defense around Marcus Tulio Tanaka, while highly talented foreign players such as Washington and Ponte provided the goals. Beating Gamba Osaka in the final stretch, Urawa won their first league title.
Buchwald’s main strength was in his ability as a leader rather than as a tactician. Motivating players with his convincing words, he turned those who had strong personalities into a united team. The club that was once called ‘the weakest in the league’ finally climbed up to the top under a manager wisely used his rich experience as a player.
Back to 2006, in the same year, Urawa won the Emperor’s Cup again to achieve a double, after which Buchwald stepped down. He had won three trophies in three years at Urawa, recording a 58 wins, 19 draws and 21 losses record in league games.
On top of being awarded the J.League Manager of the Year in 2006, he left his name in the history of Japanese football as the first manager to win the J.League after playing in the league as a footballer.
