Sports Nippon has reported that manager Gert Engels will be let go by the Urawa Red Diamonds at the conclusion of the season. The daily quoted Engels:
"I was told that I will have no contract for next season. I must just accept it because of the differences in how we think."
Urawa let go Holger Osieck in the spring of the year after leading them to the AFC Champions League title the year before. In keeping with the clubs preference of German managers, Volker Finke, formerly of SC Freiburg is rumoured to be meeting club president Mitsunori Fujiguchi following the Gamba Osaka match.