RETURN OF THE LEGEND | JAPAN IN A TRANCE / IMPERIAL HONOURS FOR HEAD-COACH STOJKOVIĆ

“It’s difficult to describe, you can only experience it. It’s indescribable, it’s such an honour, such a privilege, and I feel very grateful and eternally honoured”, that is how the Serbian A Team head-coach, Dragan Stojković, briefly recounted how he was welcomed at the Tokyo National Stadium in Japan last night.

What is all this about? Two months ago the announcement for the return of their legend, coach Stojković, to Japan began. The occasion – 30 years of the founding of the J League. And last night, the championship match in which his Nagoya won Niigata by 1:0 was solely and exclusively dedicated to the arrival of one man, the man who took the kick-off.

With all due respect to other distinguished guests and dignitaries, the most important one was Dragan Stojković. The ovation of 57,000 fans in a trance at the Tokyo National Stadium (sold tickets record at a championship match in Japan was broken) reminded us how important was what coach Stojković had done both on the pitch and on the Nagoya bench.

Mr Sato, President of TOYOTA Motor Corporation

There were many who wanted to take a photograph, an autograph, but even that was a privilege only for the chosen ones – 100 VIP tickets, each worth a few thousand Euros, allowed the presence in the special zone where they had the opportunity to take pictures with the coach Stojković, exchange a few words and have a memento for all time.