Norio Sasaki said Friday he is proud of his endeavor with Nadeshiko Japan after his tenure as head coach of the women's national came to an end.
"I've worked together with the players aiming to win on the world stage, and managed to get results to a decent extent," Sasaki told a press conference. "I'd like to treasure those (results) and knuckle down toward the next stage."
The 57-year-old said he was leaving the post after Nadeshiko failed to qualify for this summer's Rio de Janeiro Olympics this month as they finished third in the final qualifying round in Osaka.