NAGOYA (Kyodo) Former Nagoya Grampus Eight manager Ryuzo Hiraki died early Friday morning after losing a battle with severe pneumonia, the J. League first-division club said. He was 77.
Hiraki, who was in charge of Grampus in the professional J. League's inaugural season in 1993 and also played for Japan at two Olympic Games, passed away at 1:03 a.m. at Toyota Memorial Hospital in Aichi Prefecture.