| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : JUNE 14, 1999 ISSUE | ||||||||
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| INTERNATIONAL -- ASIAN COVER STORY
Hidetoshi Nakata, Soccer Player, Japan (int'l edition) JAPAN'S FAVORITE SOCCER TEAM THESE DAYS IS AC PERUGIA, in the small Italian city of that name. That's where Hidetoshi Nakata became the first Japanese world-class soccer star. Nakata, 22, initially shot to prominence in the qualifiers for last year's World Cup in France, where his assists helped secure Japan a slot for the first time. He then joined Perugia and played a key role in its survival in Italy's Serie A, the world's toughest league. Nakata was named Asian Player of the Year in both 1998 and 1999. The timing is perfect for such a wonder boy. Japan's economic slump has created a demand for national heroes. And soccer fever is rising as Japan prepares to co-host the next World Cup in 2002. It's paying off for Nakata, too. Advertisers feature his face--moody and intense under a brush of tea-colored hair--to sell goods from cars to soft drinks. Nakata stands out for his ability to play soccer like fast chess, firing through gaps before others see they're there. He was born in Kofu, west of Tokyo, where soccer rather than baseball is the game of choice for schoolboys. In his best-selling book, The Sayings of Nakata, he credits being a math whiz for his ability to make a mental equation of each kick. Says Nakata: ''There's always a theory in my head.'' And an adoring public at his side. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP |
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