Norio Sasaki

is a former Japanese football player and manager. He managed for Japan women's national team.
Biography.
After graduating from Meiji University, Sasaki joined NTT Kanto. He was a midfielder. He contributed to the club's promotion to Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1987. He retired in 1991.
Sasaki served as the head coach of Japan Football League side Omiya Ardija in 1998, then took various other positions at Omiya, including the youth team head-coach and the head of development.
In 2006, Sasaki became the assistant coach of Japan women's national team, as well as the head coach of its U-20 team. In 2008, he was promoted to the head coach of the national team, succeeding Hiroshi Ohashi.
Under Sasaki's reign, Japan won the EAFF Women's Football Championship in 2008 and again in 2010. He also led the Japan Women to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Sasaki was the manager of the Japan when they won the 2011 World Cup. FIFA named Sasaki 2011 "Coach of the Year". He also coached the national team to a second-place finish at the 2015 World Cup.
He was also coach of the women's team which won a silver medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics at London.
Sasaki announced his retirement from coaching in 2012, but was persuaded to stay on as national team coach.
In 2019, he was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame.