Former Leeds United and Liverpool man suffers setback as he is axed from managerial role

The 45-year-old only took the reins in December 2023 but has been dismissed with the club closer to the relegation zone in the Japanese top flight than the summit.

In a translated statement, the club said: “We would like to announce that we have released manager Harry Kewell from his contract, effective July 15th, 2024. Head coach John Hutchinson will take over as interim manager from today’s training session.”

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Kewell started his playing career with Leeds but it was at Liverpool that he saw more success. He became a Champions League winner with the Reds, as well as an FA Cup champion.

Kewell left in England in 2008 to join Galatasaray, later having spells with Melbourne Victory, Al-Gharafa and Melbourne Heart.

His has been in management for nearly a decade but he has not yet managed to lay down roots and start climbing the ladder. The Australian started off coaching in Watford’s youth system before moving into senior management in 2017.

He led Crawley Town, Notts County, Oldham Athletic and Barnet before heading out to Japan for a fresh challenge. When he took on the Yokohama F. Marinos job, he replaced former Millwall defender Kevin Muscat.