TOKYO (Kyodo) — Urawa Reds manager Ricardo Rodriguez will part ways with the J-League first-division soccer club at the end of this season, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.
The 48-year-old Spaniard’s impending departure was revealed in the wake of a 4-1 loss to J1 leaders Yokohama F Marinos that left Urawa in eighth place with one round remaining.
While Reds have advanced to the final of the 2022 Asian Champions League, to be played next February, they have fallen short of expectations domestically in Rodriguez’s second season in charge.
Rodriguez arrived at Saitama Stadium after finding success at the helm of second-division Tokushima Vortis, helping them earn top-flight promotion for only the second time in club history.
He guided Urawa to the Emperor’s Cup last season, but the high-profile club has been unable to mount a title challenge in the J1 this year, with a lack of goal-scoring punch blamed for a run of lackluster league results including 14 draws.
German Achim Beierlorzer, who previously managed Bundesliga sides Mainz and Koln, has been rumored as Rodriguez’s replacement.
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