SENDAI, Japan (AP) Japanese club Vegalta Sendai has hired former Australia coach Graham Arnold as manager of the first division club.
Arnold becomes the first Australian-born coach to take over a Japanese team.
Arnold had been mentioned as a candidate for head coach of Australia after Holger Osieck was fired last month, but that went to Melbourne Victory coach Ange Postecoglou.
The 50-year-old Arnold, who has been in charge at A-League club Central Coast Mariners since 2010, will replace Makoto Teguramori, who is stepping down at the end of this season to coach Japan's under-21 team.
Arnold was head coach of the Australian national team from 2007-08 after working on the coaching staff under Guus Hiddink.
