Gert Engels

Gert Engels (born 26 April 1957) is a former German football (soccer) player who works these days as manager in Japan.

He commenced his professional playing career with SG Düren 99 and later joined Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Niederau. In Mönchengladbach he was [part of the team that won the German Championships of 1976 and 1977, but Engels got not to play in the league.

In 1990 he moved to Japan to work as a coach. His first stop was in Ibaraki with Prima Aseno FC, the club that later became Mito HollyHock. Before he joined the coaching staff of Yokohama Flügels in 1993 he coached also at Takegawa Dai Ni High School in Akashi.

Shortly before the Flugels folded and were transformed into today's Yokohama F. Marinos he was made manager there for a brief period. He held that position briefly with JEF United Ichihara Chiba before taking over trhe team of Kyoto Purple Sanga.

In Kyoto he returned with the club, that was relegated after the previous season, into the J-League and even led it to a win in the Japanese cup competition, the Emperor's Cup in 2002, defeating the fancied Kashima Antlers 2-1 in extra time. After three years there he was fired when the club started poorly into the new season.

Beginning wioth 2004 he was assistant coach with Urawa Red Diamonds, initially under Guido Buchwald and later Holger Osieck, winning the AFC Champions League in 2007. When Osieck was sacked after only matchday two of the new J-League season on 16 March 2008 Engels was appointed his successor.