Before the start of the J. League Division One second stage earlier this month, four clubs -- the Yokohama F. Marinos, Kashiwa Reysol, Nagoya Grampus Eight and Tokyo Verdy 1969 -- changed their managers. Last week Cerezo Osaka also changed its boss with the departure of Hiroshi Soejima and the arrival of Joao Carlos.
Cerezo is the third J. League club Carlos has coached and the appointment came less than a month after his dismissal from Grampus Eight. Although he guided Grampus Eight to victory in the Emperor's Cup in 1999 -- only three months after his arrival at the club -- and finished third in this year's first stage, Carlos was told to leave as a result of communication problems with his players.
Strange.