Early success sees Kewell prove doubters wrong with Marinos

Former Australia forward Harry Kewell may still be in the early throes of his reign as Yokohama F Marinos manager, but the UEFA Champions League-winning winger already stands on the cusp of a feat none of his more seasoned predecessors could achieve.

Victory over Shandong Taishan this month saw Kewell lead the J.League outfit into the Asian Champions League semi-finals for the first time, surpassing the records of Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat in the club's pursuit of a first continental title.

That progress is an early riposte to those who questioned Kewell's ability to follow his two J.League winning compatriots at the helm of one of Japan's most successful clubs.

"The attitude of the players has been excellent, with the willingness to learn a slightly new style," Kewell, who won the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, says of his early days with the five-times J.League champions.

"I'm not saying I've had to scrap it from the start because they've got such a great base already, especially from the previous two managers.

"It's been quite easy to implement my ideas."

Kewell is the third Australian in succession to take charge of the Nissan-backed club, who are also part-owned by City Football Group, having joined despite limited front-line coaching experience since ending his playing career in 2014.

Underwhelming results in the lower tiers of English football meant he was a surprise appointment to follow in the footsteps of Postecoglou and Muscat, who led the club to the J.League title in 2019 and 2022 respectively.

Neither, though, was able to deliver continental success and Marinos are now one step from the Asian Champions League final.

They take on South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai on April 17 and 24, and victory