Koichi Kudo

Japanese footballer and manager

Koichi Kudo
工藤孝一
Personal information
Full name	Koichi Kudo
Date of birth	(1909-02-04)February 4, 1909
Place of birth	Iwate, Iwate, Empire of Japan
Date of death	September 21, 1971(1971-09-21) (aged 62)
Place of death	Suginami, Tokyo, Japan
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
Years	Team
1927–1929	Waseda University High School
1930–1933	Waseda University
Managerial career
1942	Japan

Koichi Kudo (工藤孝一, Kudo Koichi, February 4, 1909 – September 21, 1971) was a Japanese football player and manager. He managed Japan national team.^[1]

Coaching career

Kudo was born in Iwate, Iwate on February 4, 1909. In 1933, he graduated from Waseda University and he became manager for Waseda University. In 1936, he became assistant coach for Japan national team for 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Japan completed a come-from-behind victory against Sweden. The first victory in Olympics for the Japan and the historic victory over one of the powerhouses became later known as "Miracle of Berlin" (ベルリンの奇跡) in Japan. In 2016, this team was elected Japan Football Hall of Fame. In 1942, he became manager for Japan national team.^[2] In 1957, he managed Waseda University again until 1966.

On September 21, 1971, Kudo died of heart failure in Suginami, Tokyo at the age of 62.